Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 141 



Series / ^' ^^^P^^? ^^^^^^ 1^ 
\ 0, Underground Waters, 



44 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGTGAL SURYEY 



CHAKI 



OBSERVATIONS 



ON THE 



Ground Waters of Rio Grande Valley 



BY 



CHARLES S. SLIGHTER 





WASHINGTON 

VEBNMENT PRINTING orilCE 
1905 




Class,Gr3 f g ' 'f 
Book-i_p-6-3 



OFFICIAL l>0]NrAXION. 



Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 141 



Series / ^' Pumping Water, II 
\ 0, Underground Waters, 



44 



DKPAKTMKNT OF TIIK IXTKRIOR 

UNITKI) STATKS (xEOLCKiK AL SUKVKY 

I 

CHARLES I). WALCorr. Dikkctok 



OBSERVATIONS 



ON THE 



(IROUNI) Waters of Rio Grande Valley 



CllAliLKS !S. tSLldlTJilU 




WASHINGTON 

OOVKKNMKNT I'KINTING OFFICK 
1905 






2s OCT ma 
D,orD, 



• ••■;•: 



cA 






CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Letter of Transmittal 7 

Chapter I. — Investigation of the underflow at the narrows of the Rio Grande 

near El Paso, Tex 9 

Chapter II. — Ground waters below El Paso, Tex 14 

Chapter III. — Examination of ground- water supplies in the Mesilla Valley. . 22 

Test wells 24 

Source of the underflow : 25 

Indications of the amount of ground water available 28 

Necessity for deep wells 29 

Observations at Berino, N. Mex 30 

Chapter IV. — Summary of tests of pumping plants in southern New Mexico 

and trans-Pecos, Tex 31 

Determination of vacuum 31 

Specific capacity 32 

Cost and operating expenses ^ 32 

Fuel cost 33 

Comments on the Rio Granele pumping plants 36 

Chapter V. — Details of tests of pumping plants 39 

Plants near El Paso, Tex 39 

E. J. Hadlock 39 

W. N. French 41 

Felix Martinez 43 

J. A. Smith 45 

J. S. Porcher 49 

Plants in Mesilla Valley, N. Mex " . . 51 

F. C. Barker 51 

J. C. Carrera 53 

Frank Burke 53 

Mrs. E. M. Boyer 56 

W. N. Hager. 58 

A. L. Hines • 59 

Theodore Roualt 61 

G. H. Totten 63 

Agricultural College 65 

Plants near Berino, N. Mex 67 

Horaco Ranch Company 67 

Appendix. — Analysis of well water and data concerning wells at and near El 

Paso, Tex 74 

Index 81 

3 



ILLUSTRATIONS, 



Page. 
Plate I. A, Gorge of the Rio Grande above P]l Paso, Tex.; B, Washing down 

test pipe at the gorge of the Rio Grande 10 

II. A, Cahfornia well rig; J?, Porcher strainer 16 

III.^ Ay Small rig for drilling wells for stock; B^ Timber on Sacramento 

Mountains 20 

IV. Diagram showing variation in elevation of ground Avater in the east- 
west line of test wells from September 20, 1904, to March 26, 1905. 26 
V. A, Discharge from well No. 1, Horaco Ranch Company; B, Pump- 
ing plant of T. Roualt 62 

Fig. 1. Topographic map of the gorge of the Rio Grande above El Paso, Tex., 

where the underflow movements were made 10 

2. Cross section of the gorge of the Rio Grande above El Paso, Tex., at 

the site of the proposed international dam 11 

3. Diagram showing the variation with the depth of the total solids and 

chlorine in the ground water at the gorge or narrows of the Rio 
Grande above El Paso 12 

4. Map showing location of wells and pumping plants in the valley and 

on the mesa east of El Paso, Tex 15 

5. Section through the mesa near El Paso, from Hereford to French's 

pumping plant, showing water-bearing sands and position of the 
water plane 16 

6. Elevation of water plane at Porcher' s well No. 1 19 

7. Water plane between Porcher' s and Smith's pumping plants and the 

Rio Grande on September 5, 1904 19 

8. Map showing wells near Mesilla Park, N. Mex 23 

9. Position of the water plane September 19, 1904, in the two lines of 

test wells shown in fig. 4. 24 

10. Cross section of part of Rio Grande Valley at Berino, N. Mex., show- 

ing position of the water plane on September 16, 1904 30 

11. Plan showing arrangement of wells at Hadlock's pumping plant 39 

12. Elevation of wells at Hadlock's pumping plant near El Paso, Tex. . . 40 

13. Diagram of pumping plant of W. N. French, near El Paso, Tex 42 

14. Diagram of pumping plant of Felix Martinez, near El Paso, Tex 44 

15. Diagram of J. A. Smith's pumping plant No. 1, near El Paso, Tex . . 45 

16. Diagram of J. A. Smith's pumping plant No. 2, near El Paso, Tex. . 48 

17. Diagram of pumping plant of J. S. Porcher, near El Paso, Tex 50 

18. Diagram of pumping plant of F. C. Barker, near Las Cruces, N. Mex. 52 

19. Diagram of pumping plant of J. C. Carrera, neaj* Las Cruces, N. Mex. 54 

20. Diagram of pumping plant of F. Burke, near Mesilla Park, N. Mex.. 55 

21. Diagram of pumping plant of Mrs. E. M. Boyer, near Las Cruces, N. 

Mex 57 

22. Diagram of pumping plant of W. N. Hager, near Mesilla, N. Mex 58 

23. Diagram of pumping plant of A. L. Hines, near Mesilla, N. Mex 60 

5 



6 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Fig. 24. Diagram of pumping plant of T. Roualt, near Las Cruces, N. Mex... 62 

25. Diagram of pumping plant of G. H. Totten, near Mesilla, N. Mex 64 

26. Parabola of discharge from flume at Totten' s well 65 

27. Diagram of Agricultural College, 12-inch well, Mesilla Park, N. Mex.. 66 

28. Plan of pumping plants of the Horaco Ranch Company, Berino, IS. 

Mex 67 

29. Diagram of pumping plant No. 3, Horaco Ranch Company 68 

30. Diagram of pumping plant No. 1, Horaco Ranch Company 70 

31. Diagram of pumping plant No. 2, Horaco Ranch Company 71 

32. Wells at Fort Bliss station. El Paso and Northeastern Railroad 78 



LETTER OF TRAiNSMITTAL. 



Department of the Interior, 
United States Geological Survey, 

Reclamation Service, 

Washington} ^ Z>. 6% Jamiavy 12^ 1905, 
Sir: I transmit herewith a manuscript by Prof. Chas. S. Slichter, 
entitled '^ Observations on the Ground Waters of Rio Grande Valle}^," 
and request that it be published as one of the series of Water-Supply 
and Irrigation Papers. This report contains results of recent investi- 
gations in connection with the underground-water problems of Rio 
Grande Valley, and it is believed that the facts made available will ))e 
of general interest and value. 
Very respectfully, 

F. H. Newell, Chief Engineer. 
Hon. Charles D. Walcott, 

Director United States Geological Survei/, 

7 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE GR0[IN1) WATERS OF RIO 

GRANDE VALLEY. 



By Charles S. Slighter. 



CHAPTER I . 

i:n^vestigatio]s^ of the u:n^i)erfeow at the is^arrows 
of the rio gra:nrde :^rear ee paso, tex. 

An investigation of the underflow of the Rio Grande was begun in 
the latter part of August, 1904, at the narrows of the Rio Grande, a 
few miles above El Paso, Tex., where the stream flows through a 
narrow gorge of limestone. At this place is the site of the proposed 
Mexican-American international dam. At the surface of the water 
the distance between the walls of the gorge is less than 400 feet. The 
dam site has been investigated by the International (Water) Boundary 
Commission, organized b}^ the joint action of the American and Mexi- 
can Governments, and maps and reports concerning the proposed dam 
will be found in the Proceedings of the International (Water) Bound- 
ary Commission, vol. 2, page 277. 

A brief reconnaissance at the site of the proposed international dam 
indicated that there could be no underflow of any magnitude at this 
point. The distance between the walls of the gorge is less than 400 
feet, and the test borings made by the Mexican commission in 1897 
seemed to indicate that the maximum depth to bed rock is 86 feet. A 
cross section of the gorge, based upon the Mexican borings, is shown 
in fig. 2. In this diagram the vertical and horizontal scale are the 
same. A cross section of less than 40,000 square feet could not trans- 
mit a large volume of ground water even if other conditions were 
favorable. The highest velocity ever determined for ground water is 
about 100 feet in twenty-four hours, and assuming this maximum 
velocity at the above cross section, and a porosity of one-third in the 
water-bearing sands and gravel, the daily discharge would be 1,333,000 
cubic feet, or 15^ cubic feet per second. The gradient of the water 
plane at the narrows is but 3y^o ^^^^ to the mile, and all other indica- 
tions point to a low rather than a high velocity. 

None of the usual indications of an underflow were found at this 
point. If there was a true underflow a stream undoubtedly would 

^ 9 



10 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO ORANDE VALLEY. 



[no. 141. 



flow perenniiilly in the narrowest part of the "or^e. Some miles 
above the .site of the dam the valh\v broadens and is ^ to 5 miles in 
width, the sides gradually converging as the gorge is approached. 
The diminishing cross section would cause any underflow waters in the 




Scale 

100 



Fh;. 1.— ToiX)graphic map of the gorge of the Rio Grande above El Pa«o Tex., where the undertlow 

measurements were made. 



valley above the narrows to seek relief at the sui'face in the narrow 
gorge and form a i)erennial flowing streauL Instead of this being the 
case the river is perfectly dry at the gorge when it ceases to flow above 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 141 PL. I 





""""'''w H^^B^B^B^WWBIWB^PBifBIMwP 




-^^^ 




^^^to^dtF^ "^^IB 



.4. GORGE OF THE RIO GRANDE ABOVE EL PASO, TEX. 




/;. WASHING DOWN TEST PIPE AT THE GORGE OF THE RIO GRANDE. 



SUCHTER.] 



UNDERFLOW AT THE NARROWS. 



11 



the pass. It was dry during several mouths of 1904. In addition to 
a perennial surface flow through the narrowest portion of and above 
the gorge and near its converging sides, the ground waters should 
have a slightly artesian character. None of these common indications 
of an underflow were found. 

Notwithstanding the above considerations, actual determinations of 
the rate of underflow were begun, largely on account of a local popu- 
lar belief that there is an enormous underflow at this point. The 
results of the investigation are in accordance with general considera- 
tions above indicated. 

The material in the river bed at the site of the proposed inter- 
national dam consists of sand and flne gravel with occasional layers of 
silt. No bowlders were encountered in sinking the test wells and the 
borings were made with great ease. The ground waters in the sands 
of the gorge were found to contain a large amount of dissolved solids. 




Scale 



150 feet 



? 


3 


1 


^1 


/ 


10 


/37 


^ 


/O 


/69 


^ 


22 


400 


3 


29 


569 


4 


42 


1438 


4 


60 


4600 


5 


50 


2500 





Fig. 2.— Cross section of the gorge of the Rio Grande, above El Paso, Tex., at the site of the proposed 
international dam. 

The numbers inclosed in the rectangles give the velocity of the ground water in feet per twenty-four 
hours. The numbers inclosed in circles give the amount of common salt in parts per 100,000 dis- 
solved in the ground water. The table at the right gives the depths of the test wells and the 
amount of total solids found in the water. The supposed rock bottom is given as determined by 
the Mexican borings, the vertical and horizontal scales Ixung alike. 

At a depth of 10 feet the waters contained about 100 parts per 100,000 
of common salt, and the quantity became larger as distance from the 
surface increased. Below a depth of 3^ feet so much salt was present 
that it was very diflicult to determine the rate of motion of the ground 
waters. At a depth of 42 feet the common salt in solution amounted 
to 1,340 parts per 100,000; at 60 feet it reached 1,700 parts per 100,000; 
in a 50-foot test hole it amounted to 1,720 parts per 100,000. The 
total solids dissolved in the ground water were proportionately as large 
as the amount of common salt, so that at a depth of 40 feet the water 
was about half as strong as sea water, and at a depth of 60 feet it was 



u 



GKOINI) WATKKS OF KIO (IKANDK VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



;i))out 30 per rent stronger than ordinary sea water. In tio*. 2 the 
positions of the principal test wells are shown. 

The velocities as found at stations 1, 2, and 3 were very uniform, 
being 2.9 feet per twenty-four hours at station 1, 2.<S feet per twenty- 
four hours at station 2, and 2.9 feet per twenty-four hours at station 3. 
The greatest depth at which it was practicable to make a determination 
of the rate of How was 42 feet, where the common salt in solution 
amounted to about 1,400 parts per 100,000. In order to increase the 
conductivity of this water, it was necessary to make use of a stronger 
electrolyte than anmionium chloride. For this purpose a quantity of 
ammonium chloride was saturated with a gallon and a half of hydro- 
chloric acid. This mixture was used to salt the upstream well used for 
determining the rate of the underflow. From the way the apparatus 
worked it was evident that it is possible to determine the rate of move- 
ment of o'round waters as strono- in salt as the Avater of tlie KioClrande 



30 

so 

































\) 


\ 




























\ 


\ 




























\ 


\J 




.^ 






























\ 






£2^ 


22^ 






































— 


-^ 



































































300 600 900 IZOO 1500 1800 ZIOO Z400 ZIOO 3000 3300 3600 3900 4^200 490O 

Parts per 100,000 

Fi(4. 3. — Diagram showing the variation with depth of the total solids and chlorine in the gronnd 

water at the gorge or narrows of the Rio Grande above El Paso. 
The rapid rate of increase in the dissolved solids at a depth of about 40 feet indicates that the water 

below such depth is stagnant or without appreciable movement. 

at a depth of 42 feet; as a matter of fact, however, the water at this 
depth is either stationary or moves much slower than at higher levels. 
After waiting three da^^s none of the electrolytes had reached the 
downstream wells, and it was concluded that there was practically no 
motion of the ground water at this depth. A few of the test wells 
were driven to a greater depth, in order to secure samples of the water 
and to note the amount of contained solids, but no measurements of 
the rate of motion of the waters were attempted. Fig. 8 represents 
))y curves the variation of th(* chlorine/' and total solids with the 
depth as determined from the various test wells. This diagram sug- 
gests that the water below the 85- or 40-foot level is not moving. The 



a The amount of common salt is proportional to the chlorine. 



SLIGHTER.] UNDERFLOW AT THE NARROWS. 13 

increase in totai solids is not uniform, but becomes greater below the 
35-foot line. The amount of chlorine shows a similar jump at about 
the same depth, but after increasing suddenly it seems to remain sta- 
tionary. This may ])e due to the fact that the common salt in solution 
originates abov^e the gorge, and lias been slowly concentrated during 
a long time. The total solids, on the contrary, include the dissolved 
salts of lime, which can become almost indefinitely concentrated from 
the limestone debris in the gravels of the gorge itself. 

It would be interesting to know whether the depth of the most sud- 
den increase in the dissolved salts (say 35 feet) corresponds to the 
depth of the maximum scour of the river at the gorge. 

The velocities of the ground water in the tests described above are 
undoubtedly the maximum velocities in the narrows of the gorge, since 
pains were taken to make the tests in the coarsest strata encountered 
in the borings. Layers of fine silt were frequently met with in put- 
ting down the test wells, which probably accounts for the stagnant 
condition of the water below the 35-foot level. These layers of silt 
are undoubtedly imbricated in such a way that movement of the deeper 
ground waters is impossible. 

The total cross section in which the ground waters move is about 35 
feet in depth and 325 feet in width and has an area of 11,200 square 
feet. If it is assumed that the porosity of the material is one-third 
and the maximum velocity of the ground water is 3 feet per da}^, the 
total discharge through the gorge does not exceed 11,200 cubic feet 
per twenty-four hours, or about 0.132 cubic foot per second, or about 
50 gallons a minute. This amount of underflow is entirely insignifi- 
cant. It is obvious that on account of the enormous quantity of dis- 
solved solids the underflow would be worthless, no matter what its 
magnitude might be. 



CHAPTER II. 
GROUXB WATERS BEXiOW EI. PASO, TEX. 

The Rio Grande Valley below El Paso has been studied with refer- 
ence to possibilit}^ of obtaining a ground-water supph^ from wells. 
East and north of El Paso is a very level strip of country known as 
the ^'Lanoria Mesa." This mesa lies between 4,000 and 5,000 feet 
above the sea level, and extends as a nearly unbroken plain between 
two north-south ranges of mountains. On the west the mesa is lim- 
ited bv the Franklin, Organ, and San Andres mountains, to the east 
it is bordered by the Hueco Mountains, and farther north by the Sac- 
ramento Mountains. At the southern end the east and west extent of 
the mesa is about 20 miles, and at the north it is almost unbroken for 100 
miles. The north end of the mesa is interesting on account of several 
very unusual topographic features. A number of miles west and north 
of Alamogordo, N. Mex., are depressions which are said to be the 
channels of an ancient river. A great overflow of lava covers the 
northern portion of the mesa, and apparently hides the bank of 
the ancient river channel. About 18 miles north and west of Ala- 
mogordo are found the famous " white sands" of New Mexico, which 
consist of wind-blown hillocks of granular grains of gypsum. The 
white sands belt has, east to west, a width of 5 to 18 miles, a length 
north to south of about 40 miles, and an area of nearly 600 square 
miles. 

In the northern portion of the Lanoria Mesa good wells are very 
rare, and at many places are quite unknown. The ground waters for 
the most part are highly alkaline and unsatisfactory for use. Run- 
ning water can })e noticed in many places flowing beneath the lava 
bed, forming a subterranean stream locally called the "'Lost River." 

In the southern poi'tion of the mesa within 20 miles of the Rio 
Grande is a very Hne-grained, water-bearing sand at a depth of about 
230 feet. The water-bearing stratum is between 30 and 60 feet thick 
where it has been found and the contained water is of an excellent 
(Quality. The strongly alkaline^ waters connnon in the northern part 
of the mesa seem to be entirely absent from this portion. The water- 
14 



SLIGHTER.] 



GROUND WATERS BELOW EL PASO, TEX. 



15 



bearing sand, however, is too tine grained to furnish wells of large 
capacity. The origin of ground water in this sand stratum is difficult 



106' 30' 



106*20 



Tysons Rancli 



LANORIA 
MEISA 





'prefer/ 



Countour /nten/&/ £'60 feet 



106*30' 



106 20' 



Fi(.. 1.— Map showing location of wells and pumping plants in the valley and on the mesa east of El 
Paso, The lines run with level are shown. 

to trace. Nearly everywhere in the southern part of the mesa there 
is within a few feet of the surface from 3 to 6 feet of ''caliche," a 



16 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



cemented calcareous impervious conglomerate that prevents the seep- 
age of ground water. The deposit of ''caliche" seems to be the result 



B ii.r>^ Ilio Grande 

\i^%%'^ 3648. 07 'elev of flowing w^ter 
^^' on Au§.29.l904 




'.^Z^^^^^^222Z^mZ^^^ 



yy///////////////A 




W^^^'^'^^'^'^^^ 



of the evaporation of the ground watcM- near (he surt'ac(^ of the mesa. 
Whenever this ''caliche" is present the rainfall is undoubtedly unable 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 141 PL. II 




CALIFORNIA WELL RIG. 




B. PORCHER STRAINER. 



sLicHTEK] GROUND WATERS BELOW EL PASO, TEX. 17 

to penetrate the ground for a distance of more than a few feet. The 
annual precipitation is so slight, not exceeding a total of 9 inches, that 
the portion that sinks into the ground must soon be evaporated by the 
intense heat of the sun wherever the '' caliche'' is present. 

It is difficult to believe that the ground water in the stratum of sand 
referred to above is derived from the run-off from the north-south 
mountain ranges. These mountain ranges consist very largely of 
limestone; and the small canyon streams run high in calcium, but the 
waters found in the sand stratum are very soft and show no indication 
of having originated in a calcareous catchment area. The most prob- 
able source of the water of the sand stratum of the mesa is the rain- 
fall on the mesa itself, especially on limited portions located between 
12 and 25 miles north of the Rio Grande. Part of the surface material 
on the mesa near Hereford is very sandy and is fairly well adapted to 
receive and absorb a considerable part of the light rainfall. The rail- 
road wells drilled at this point indicate that only a fractional part of 
the sand stratum is saturated with water, while in the lower part of 
the mesa in the neighborhood of Fort Bliss, near the valley of the Rio 
Grande, the water in the sand is found under an artesian head. These 
facts are brought out in fig. 5. As w^ill be seen bj^ inspection of this 
diagram, the soui'ce of the ground water found in the deep-lying sands 
and gravels should be sought in the neighborhood of Hereford. The 
ground water certainly can not have had its source near Fort Bliss, as is 
proved b}^ its artesian character. North of Hereford a point is reached 
at w^hich the ground w^aters are ver\^ strongly alkaline, and it is evi- 
dent that water can not have originated so far north. The contrast 
between the strong waters in the north and the soft waters in the 
southern part of the mesa suggests that the waters of the one portion 
of the mesa must be cut off geologically from those of the other part. 

Within a few miles of the southern edge of the mesa several deep 
wells have been sunk to obtain water from the above-mentioned sand 
and gravel. Near the southern edge of the mesa the Southern Pacific 
Railroad has a group of wells designed to obtain ground water for 
railroad purposes. The wells are 8 inches in diameter and about 270 
feet deep, and each contains at the bottom a No. 6 Cook strainer, 7 
inches b}^ 20 feet in dimensions. The cjualitv of the water is excel- 
lent, but the quantit}^ is very limited. The four wells, each supplied 
with a Downey, double-acting deep-well ])ump, ar(» af)h^ to secure no 
more than 150,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. About one-half 
mile north of the Southern Pacific wells two wells have been sunk to 
obtain water for the use of Fort Bliss Military Reservation. The 
two wells are about 20 feet apart, th(^. depth of the eastern well 
being 313 feet and that of the western 319 feet. The wells have a 
diameter of 8 inches, contain ()-inch suction pipes, and carry at the 
bottom a No. 6 Cook strainer, 5f inches in diameter and 8 feet long. 
iRR 141—05 2 



18 GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. 141. 

The)^ are pumped ])y two Cook deep-well pumps, which lift from 
52,000 to 86,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. About 200 feet north 
of the military reservation at Fort Bliss the International Water Sup- 
ply Company, of El Paso, Tex., has sunk seven 12-inch California 
stovepipe w^ells for the purpose of securing a municipal water supply 
for the city of El Paso. In one of these wells, which ended at the 
depth of 2,800 feet in a bed of dr}^ olay, no water-bearing stratum was 
found below the sand referred to above. The yield of the Interna- 
tional wells had not been determined, but it was evident from samples 
of material that it could not be much greater than that at the South- 
ern Pacific or the military reservation wells. A yield of 100,000 
gallons per twent3^-four hours for each of the seven wells of the Inter- 
national Water Supph' Company is probably a large estimate. 

At the southern boundarj^ of the mesa the Rio Grande is about 40 
feet higher than the top of the water-bearing sand mentioned above 
(see fig. 5). There is every indication that at the time the river eroded 
the gorge above the citj" to the depth of 86 feet it also cut into this 
deposit of sand and resorted and redeposited the material, carrying 
awaj^ the finer portions. For this reason good wells can be had along 
the edge of the mesa w^herever the river has done its work, except in 
a few places where the river has carried away all of the sand and left a 
local deposit of clay and mud. The water in the resorted gravels is 
very good, but not nearly as soft as the water of the wells on the mesa 
proper. In these resorted sands and gravels are located the wells 
used for irrigation in the bottom lands of the Rio Grande. The water 
found in the sands in the neighborhood of these pumping plants is 
probabl}^ in large part contributed b}^ the Rio Grande. The accom- 
panying table gives partial analyses of water taken from the mesa 
wells and from the wxUs in the bottom lands of the river. Further- 
more, as shown by fig. 5, on the mesa the water plane slopes very 
gentl}^ toward the Rio Grande and near the irrigation pumping plants 
it slopes at a higher angle awa}^ from the river channel. As can be 
seen from fig. 5, the water planes on August 29, 1904, at the wells of 
W. N. French, about 8 miles east of El Paso, sloped awa}^ from the 
river at a gradient of 2 feet to the mile, while the slope from the mesa 
to French's well was two-thirds foot to the mile. On that date the 
water plane in the channel of the river stood about 2 feet lower than 
the surface of the stream. This indicates that the river pro})ably does 
not furnish very much water to the sand on account of the deposits 
of silt in the river bed, except at times of flood, when the scour of the 
river (^xtends to a considerable depth. At such times it is probable 
that the sands take up and store a considerable^ (juantity of river water, 
which ultimately finds it way to the pumping plants. 

Conditions similar to those mentioned were found about 8 miles east 



SLICHTER.] 



GROUND WATERS BELOW EL PASO, TEX. 



19 



of El Paso, at the pumping plants of J. A. Smith and .1.8. Porcher. 
Fig. 7 shows the slope of the water plane between the river channel 



J6Z9.^4 



36Z8.4-4 



36Z7A4- 















































^ 


^ 




















/ 






















/ 












K 








\. 




/ 












^ 








X 














^ 


v: 








< 


1 












% 


•^ 








\ 


/ 












t; 










> 


/ 










\ 

^ 


5 

0) 










1 


/ 






































1 






^ 












/ 


2 





/ 


2 





J 


2 





10 zo • 




AUG. 






SCPT. 






OCT. 






NOV. 


\ 



Fig. 6. — Elevation of water plane at Porcher's well No. 1. 






^36Z6.S'^ elevation of surface of uvaser in river 



E/e vat ion ^3627.7 



Sept. 6, 1904- 



'"--""■'^'-'-'ms^.o. 



1 




'Efevation 
-36Z4-6' 



Elevation 
36Z7.6' 



Fkt. 7. — Water plane between Porcher's and Smith's pumping plants and the Kio Grande on Septem- 
ber, 5, 1904. 

and the wells of Smith and Porcher, as determined on September 5, 
1904. 



20 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



rart'idl (uiali/t^es of samples of nater from the Rio Gramfe Valley, Texas and Xeir Mexico. 

[In parts per 100,000.] 



Name of well. 


Depth of 
well. 


Total 
solids. 


Chlorine. 


Hardness as 
CaCO:i. 


Alkalinity as 
CaCO;;. 


Samples taken near El Paso, 
Tex. : 


Feet 










Citv water, El Paso, Tex . 





127 
72 


54.0 
21.4 


70.4 
30.0 


20.0 


El Paso Brewery 


58 


21.'^ 


Felix Martinez 


68 
30 


62 
104 


13.7 
31.5 


29.6 
47.7 


19.1 


E. J. Hadlock 


27.7 


W.N.French 


78 


55 


11.0 


25.0 


17.7 


J. S. Porcher 


60 


110 


22.6 


73.5 


25, 3 


J. A. Smith No. 1 


62 


174 


55.6 


67.0 


23.0 


J. A. Smith No. 2 


60 


90 


18.1 


40.8 


20.6 


Southern Pacific wells 


270 


42 


2.13 


11.1 


17.5 


Fort Bliss Military Reser- 
vation 


315 


29 


1.95 


10.5 


16.4 


El Paso and Northeastern 
at Fort Bliss 


1 250 

1 410 

260 


1 « 

22 


2.38 
1.48 


11. 3 
7.25 


20.0 


International Water Co 


11.5 


Samples taken near Berino, 
N. Hex.: 












Horaco Ranch Co. No. 2. . . 


53 


126 


30.9 


45.8 


29.6 


Horaco Ranch Co. No. 1 . . . 


75 


170 


54.2 


62.8 


37.0 


Horaco Ranch Co. No. 3. . . 


62 


203 


63.9 


59.5 


52.5 


Samples taken near Las Cruces, 
N. Mex.: 












G. H. Totten 


62 


99 


19.6 


59.8 


29.5 


T. Roualt 


48 


76 


11.2 


47.3 


19.4 


W.N. Hager 


63 


71 


13.8 


50.8 


23.6 


A. L. Hines 


59 


73 


10.8 


47.5 


28.5 


F. C. Barker 


48 


96 


15.8 


58.1 


28.7 


Mrs. E. M. Boyer 


52 


57 


7.5 


38.6 


25.1 


J. C. Carrera 


58 


83 


11.2 


54.2 


27.3 


Samples taken at the gorge 
near El Paso: 












River water 




128 


9.6 


55.8 


11.7 


Station No. 2 


10 


169 


63 


95 


23. 


Do 


22 


400 


137 


100 


18.6 


Station No. 3 


29 


5S9 


213 


139 


20.9 


Test well No. 1 


10 


137 


65.7 


63. () 


19.7 


Station No. 4 


42 


1,438 


845 


245. 


31.4 


Do 


60 


4, 600 


1,033 


224 


:^5.9 


Station No 5 


50 


2, 500 


1,040 


224 


31.4 







U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 141 PL. Ill 




A. SMALL RIG FOR DRILLING WELLS FOR STOCK. 




B. TIMBER ON SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS. 



BLIGHTER.) 



GROUND WATERS BELOW EL PASO, TEX. 



21 



During iiiiRKinonths ending August 25, UM)4, tliere was no water in 
the river channel below El Paso. Dui'ing this time the water plane 
at the Porcher well No. I (an unused well KM) feet from the well of the 
new pumping plant) fell a total distance of 2 feet, or to an elevation 
of 3,627.44 above mean sea level. By September 5, 1904, after four 
days' rain the water in this well had risen 0.15 foot. The record of 
the week of rain is given in the table below. By October 2 the water 
plane had risen 0.37 foot (to 3,627.81 feet). On November 20, 1904, 
it was within 0.3 foot of the elevation before the 2-foot loss noted 
above, and was still rising at the rate of about one-tifth inch per 24 
hours. On March 7, 1905, the water in the well had reached an eleva- 
tion of 3,63i>.79, or a total rise of 3.35 feet in seven months. There 
was water in the Kio Grande during all of this period. 

These observations show clearly that the principal source of the 
ground water near Smith's and Porcher's ranches is seepage from 
the Rio Grande. A heavy flood about October 9 greatly accelerated 
the rate of rise of the water plane, as is shown by fig. 6, where the 
changes in level at Porcher\s w^ell No. 1 are represented by a curve. 

Rainfall, In inches, at FA Paso, Tex., September 1 to 10, 1904, as reported by the United 

States Weather Bureau, 



September 1 0. 

September 2 .09 

September 3 53 

September 4 62 

September 5 16 

September 6 61 



September 7 0. 09 

September 8 Trace. 

September 9 Trace. 

September 10 



Total . 



2.10 



CHAPTER I T I . 

EXAMIXATI0:N^ of GROLIS^D-WATER SUPPIjIES IK THE 

MESII.I.A TAI.I.EY. 

The valley of the Rio Grande begins to broaden north of the narrows 
in the neighborhood of El Paso, Tex. Near Las Cruces, N. Mex., the 
level bottom lands are about 5 miles wide, and irrigation has been 
extensively^ carried on for many years. Besides the citv of Las Cruces, 
there are situated in this part of the valley the villages of Mesilla and 
Mesilla Park. Between old Fort Selden, north of Las Cruces, and 
the post-offices of Berino and Anthony, about 12,000 acres are under 
cultivation. 

Owing to frequent shortage in the river supply of water, a number 
of pumping plants have been installed for the purpose of obtaining 
ground water for irrigation. One of the first wells for this purpose 
was drilled by the Agricultural College at Mesilla Park. At this place 
a coarse water-bearing gravel bed about 12 feet thick was found at a 
depth of 32 feet. This gravel is overlain by quicksand and adobe. 
The water lev^el in the wells stood originally 16 feet below the surface 
of the ground. This well was used extensively for experimental pur- 
poses, and later a 12-inch well was put down to the same depth in the 
neighborhood of the 6-inch well. A great many tests of different kinds 
' of pumps and engines were made at these wells, and a careful study was 
made of the cost of the recovery of the water, as well as of the amount 
of land in various kinds of crops that could be irrigated with the water 
recovered. A report on this work was published in 1908 by Professors 
Vernon and Lester and issued as a bulletin of the agricultural experi- 
ment station at Mesilla Park. As a result of the experiments and of 
the published reports on the wells at the agricultural station, a number 
of pumi)ing plants have been installed during the present season, and 
many more are likely to be established in the near future. For that 
reason it has become important to have accurate information of the 
source of the ground-water supply in this part of the Rio Grande 
Valley and to determine the amount available for such use. 

A reconnaissance near Las Cruces and Mesilla Park indicated that 

there is probably- no underflow in this valle}^ in the true sense in which 

that term i< used. The rainfall upon the catchment area northeast of 

the valley is very slight and the run-ott' is correspondingly low. It 

22 



kUrmt^R.] 



SrPPLlKFi TN THE MESTLT.A VALLKV. 



23 



does not seem possibh* that tin* grouiul waters which are used for irri- 
gation eould originate very hirt^ely in the rainfall upon the neitrhbor- 
ing mesa and the foothills and u))on the slopt^s of tin* Orirnn Mountains 



106 50 



o Fumpin^ plants 
Scale 




106 50 



Fig. 8.— Map showing lines of test wells and location of pumping plants near I>as Cruces and Slesilla 

Park, N. Mex. 

to the northeast. These mountains are very precipitous, and furnish 
in all pro})ability a very small amount of run-off to the ground waters 
of the vallev. 



24 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



TEST WELLS. 

For the purpose of determining- tlie source of the ground waters in 
the Mesilla Valley two lines of test wells were sunk across the valley, 
one at right angles and the other parallel to the general direction of 
the river. These test wells were cased with l^-inch pipe and were pro- 
vided at the lower end with a common brass jacket well point. They 
were sunk to such a depth that the strainers would be completely cov- 
ered with water at all times. 

The plan of the test wells is shown in tig. 8. Across the valley are 
9 wells on the average of one-half a mile apart. ' The wells were 




Average gradient of water plane =0.4-0fi.per mile 



HORIZONTAL SCALE 

Yt \ 



VERTICAL SCALE 



zmiles 
Aofeet 



Fi<;. y.-PoHition of the water plane September 19, 1904, in the two lines of test wells shown in tig. 8. 

sunk as far as practicable along the public highways, so as to be readily 
accessible at all times. They were drilled primarily to determine the 
slope of the water plane in the valley and the changes in the position 
of the water plane during fluctuations in the level of the flowing water 
in the Rio (irande. In tig. 9 are shown the results of levels taken on 
})oth lines of test wells. In the upper part of the diagram is shown 
the position of the water i)lane September 19, 1904, in the wells of the 
north-south line. I'he Boyer well, located about 5 miles north of the 
northernmost li-inch test wells, was used as an additional test well, so 
as to extend the north-south line for a total distance of nearly r> miles. 
As will be seen from flg. 9, the gradient of tlie water plane in the 



suciiTER.l SUPPLIES IN THE MESILLA VALLEY. 25 

direction of the north-south line of test wells aveniged 4.64 feet per 
mile at the time of the Hrst observation on September 19, 11)04. As 
shown on the lower part of tig. 1) the water plane, in an east-west direc- 
tion, was nearly horizontal, but near the river it Avas somewhat higher 
than at the east end of the line of test wells, although the surface slopes 
gently in the opposite direction. A slight elevation in this section is 
seen at station 3. On an average the water plane in the east-west cross 
section slopes about 0.4 foot per mile toward the east end. It is evi- 
dent from these cross sections that the ground water must flow in the 
general direction of the river valleJ^ The direction of maximum slope 
of the water plane is shown in fig. 8 bj^ the large arrow. This arrow 
should, therefore, indicate the direction of flow of the ground water. 
The gradient of the water plane of 4.64 feet per mile is very moderate, 
and it is probable that the real velocitj^ of the ground water is low. 
The slight elevation at station 3 indicates that at this point the ground 
water comes to some extent from the north, and does not move from 
east to west. If such an east-west movement took place the motion 
would be uphill for the entire distance from station 1 to station 3. 

SOURCE OF THE UNDERFLOW. 

When the test wells were sunk it was expected that the position of 
the water plane in the wells would be observed every week until the 
time of high water in the Rio Grande, which would naturally be the 
spring of 1905. The test wells were sunk in cooperation with Prof. 
J. D. Tinsley, of the Agricultural College of New Mexico, who has 
made weekl}^ observations of the height of the water plane in them. 
On October 5, 1904, heavy rains in the Rocky Mountains produced very 
disastrous floods in the Rio Grande and in nearly all the rivers head- 
ing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. In the neighborhood of Las 
Cruces the maximum elevation of the river was higher than had been 
observed at any time in the last ten years. The period of very high 
water, so soon after the completion of the test wells, furnished an 
excellent opportunity of observing the effect of the floods in the Rio 
Grande upon the ground waters of the valley. Instead, therefore, of 
waiting for the spring floods of 1905, it became possible to determine 
immediately the essential facts in regard to the effect of the river 
upon the ground-water level. In PI. IV the ground-water levels 
in the east-west line of test wells are given for each month from Sep- 
tember 19 to March 26. The first observation taken on October 1 
shows that the water had risen 0.4 foot since September 19. On 
October 9, however, the water at station 8 was 1.6 feet higher than on 
October 1. This was due to the flood of October 5. The flood raised 
the ground water at station 8 about O.T of a foot more during the next 
week, but from October 16 to 23 the small rise of 0.1 of a foot indi- 
cates that by October 23 the ground- water level at station 8 had tem- 



26 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



porarily reached its highest position. Therefore, as a result of the 
flood, the gradient of the water plane immediately adjacent to the 
river, between stations 8 and 7, increased from 0.7 of a foot per mile 
to 2.3 feet per mile. The direction of movement of the water in the 
gravel was therefore undoubtedly downstream, even during times of 
flood, for while the east- west gradient increased to 2.3 feet to the mile 
in the immediate neighborhood of the river, the original downstream 
gradient of 4.64 feet to the mile was not materially aft'ected. The test 
wells in the north-south line have not shown a departure of more than 
0.1 of a foot from the original levels on September 19. 

The table contains the observations on both sets of test wells until 
March 26, 1905. The Rio Grande had water in it continuously daring 
this time. In high stages of the river the water in the well^s still 
further rose, as is shown by the table and flg. 8. The total rise at 
station 8, located 0.4 mile from the river, was substantially 5 feet. 
The effect of the river can be traced at least 2 miles from its east 
bank. The rise at stations 1 and 2 during March, 1905, took place 
after irrigation had begun and is largely due to that cause. 

Elevation of ground ivater, in feet, above datum,(^ in east-ivest line of test trells near Mesilla 

Park, N. Mex. 

[Feet above datum.] 



Date. 


No.l. 


No. 2. 


No. 3. 


No. 4. 


No. 5. 


No. 6. 


No. 7. 


No. 8. 


1904. 


















September 19 


22.60 


23.03 


23.45 


23.19 


22.57 


23.14 


23.85 


23.85 


October 1 


22. '61 


23.10 


23. 43 


23.15 


22.85 


23.19 


23.16 


24.25 


October 9 


22.74 


23.21 


23.50 


23.15 


22.85 


23.19 


23. 38 


25.85 


October 16 


22.77 

22.77 
22.77 
22.74 
22.77 
22.76 


23. 23 
23.23 
23.21 
23.18 
23.20 
23.16 


23.48 
23.46 
23.42 
23.36 
23. 36 
23.32 


23.13 
23.13 
23.13 
23.08 
23.09 
23.06 


22.86 
22.83 
22.86 
22.84 
22.86 
22.83 


23.14 
23.12 
23.07 
23. 08 
23. 10 
23. 10 


23.59 
23.73 
23.81 
23.94 
24.05 
24.13 


26.18 


October 23 


26.22 


October 30 


26.28 


November 6 


26.36 


November 1 3 


26.38 


November 20 


26.34 


November 27 


22.77 


23.18 


23.34 


23.03 


22.83 


23.11 


24.18 


26.42 


December 18 


22.69 


23. 08 


23.27 


23.00 


22.84 


23. 22 


24.41 


26.59 


1905. 


















Januarv 15 


22.52 
22.50 
22. 52 
22.98 
23.12 


22.96 
22.96 
22.96 
23.06 
23. 34 


23.10 
23. 05 
23. 01 
23. 01 
23. 12 


22.81 
22.79 
22. 83 
22. 95 
22.98 


22.72 
22.74 
22.89 
23.01 
23.04 


23.25 
23.48 
23.73 
23.82 
23.97 


24.51 
24.66 
24.83 
25.10 
25. 37 


26.85 


FeV)riiarv 5 


26.78 


Februarv 26 


27.20 


March 12 


28.20 


March 26 


28.59 







« Datum i»laue 3.MK) feet above mean sea level. 





U. 


S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 




3 828 




1 
t 


Feet 
3 827 




\^ 

W 

r i 

\ \l 

\ \ 


3 826 




V \ 
- f \ 
% t \ 

)st^ \ 




3.825 


! 




\vi\\ \ 


. 


3,824 


1 


\ 
\ 


\V\' 


\ \ 


3,823 


V 


\ 

00 

25 


Xlo, \ 


















DIAG 


D 05 
RAM SHOWING 

-re OT 


VARIAT 

r \A/m 1 i 








1 




i \ 


>u 


1 


^^ 


^- 


r^' 


% 


V 


1 






■^^w 






■^^^ 


1 




1 


1 


: 




^ 


1 




T-WEST LINE OF 



SLIGHTER.] 



SUPPLIES IN THE MESILLA VALLEY. 



27 



Elevation of ground trater, in feet^ above datum, ^ in, novth-soutli line of test veils neq^r 

Mesilla Park, N, Mex. 





[Feet } 


I hove (latum. 


] 






Date. 


No. 10. 


No. 11. 


No. 12. 


No. 13. 


No. 14. 


1904. 

September 20 

October 1 


27. 54 
27.56 
27.68 
27.56 
27.52 
27.40 
27.46 
27.44 
27.43 
27.40 
27.40 

27.25 
27.29 
27.46 
27. 59 
27.59 


25.14 
25.12 
25.11 
25.14 
25.12 
25.04 
25.07 
25.06 
25.03 
25.03 
25.03 

24.89 
24.91 
25.07 
25.16 
25.19 


20. 75 
20. 65 
20.71 
20.71 
20.70 
20.63 
20.65 
20.64 
20.63 


18.07 
18.08 
18.16 
18.18 
18.16 
18.08 
18.11 
18.11 
18. 10 


14.96 
14.94 


October 9 

October 16 


15. 01 
15.07 


October 23 


15.09 


October 30 


15.04 


November 6 


15. 11 


November 13 


15.14 


November 20. 


15. 16 


November 27 




December 18 


20.64 

20.54 
20.54 

20.68 
20.83 

20.84 


18.14 

18.05 
18.18 
18.50 
18.59 

18.58 


15. 29 


1905. 
Januarv 15 


15. 25 


February 5 

February 26 

March 12 


15.29 
15.46 
15.59 


March 26 


15.65 







« Datum plane 3,800 feet above mean sea level. 

The observations of the test wells show^ that the ground waters in the 
Mesilla Valley originate in the flood waters of the river. During times 
of low water the riv^er bed is so thoroughly covered with mud that 
probably only a small amount of water escapes in the sand and gravels 
of the valley. During the period of flood, when the scour is deep, the 
contributions, of the river to the underflow reach a maximum, as at 
that time the greatest amount of water is available for this purpose. 

The observations of the ground-water level indicate also that a small 
portion of the underflow reaches the river valley from the mesa and 
foothills to the north and east of Las Cruces. The changes in the east- 
west line of water levels reached a maximum at the west end at station 
8, with a secondary maximum at the east end at station 1. The high 
floods in the river were accompanied by rainfall on the mountains and 
mesa to the north and east of Las Cruces, and a suflScient amount of 
water penetrated the ground to cause the elevation of the water plane 
shown at the eastern end of the diagram. It will be observed that the 
total change in elevation at stations 1 and 2 was 0.2 of a foot. This 
change took place almost simultaneously with the rise at station 8. 



28 GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. 141. 

Nevertheless, a slight indication of a hig in the lise of stations 1 and :2 
can be observed from the diagram. The table on p. 26 gives the ele- 
vation of the water in the test wells as observed by Professor Tinslev 
between September 19, 1904, and March 2(), 1905. 

INDICATIONS OF THE AMOUNT OF GROUND WATER AVAILABLE. 

The following table gives the rate at which water was contributed to 
the underflow at Mesilla Park by the river, and also by the rainfall on 
the foothills and mountains northeast of the river valley. The total 
amount contributed by the river during the thirtj^-three days com- 
prised in the period of observation was 8,900,000 cubic feet of water 
for each linear mile of the river valley. Of this amount 5,120,000 
cubic feet, or more than half, was contributed in eight days, between 
October 1 and 9, which include the Hood beginning October 5. In 
column 4 of the table is given the rate at which 1 linear mile of the 
river channel furnished water to the underflow, expressed as a contin- 
uous flow in cubic feet of water per second. These same facts are 
expressed in gallons per minute in column 5. The average rate of 
contribution for the 33-day period was 3.03 cubic feet per second, or 
1,360 gallons a minute. If a plant which pumped continuouslj" 1,360 
gallons a minute was installed for each mile of the river valley, all 
the water contributed by the river would be pumped, and the level 
of the ground water at the end of the period would be the same as 
at the beginning. Any greater rate of pumping would have a tend- 
ency to lower the water plane below its initial value and make a draft 
upon the permanent supply stored in the gravels. 

In columns 6, 7, and 8 is given the amount contributed to the 
underflow by the rainfall upon the mesa, northeast of the valley. 
The total amount contributed during the thirty-three days covered by 
the table was 1,517,000 cubic feet of water per mile of valley — an 
average flow of 0.515 cubic foot per second, or 232 gallons a minute. 
During the last week covered by the table the gravels near the eastern 
edge of the vallej^ lost water instead of gaining, and the entries in the 
table for this period are negative. A well pump drawing 232 gallons 
of water per minute, if operated continuously during the 33-day period, 
would just consume the seepage from the rainfall contributed by 1 
linear mile of the valley. 



SLIGHTER.] 



SUPPLIES IN THE MESILLA VALLEY. 



29 



Amount of vKfter ('(mtrihutlo)t to fhf tinderjlotv of iJte Rio (irande near Mmlld Park, 
X. Mrx., hefwmt September 20 and October ;?5, 1904. 



Amount of ground water coiitrib- 

Amoniit of K»"<)und water eontrib- uted by rainfall upon mesa east 

uted by each mile of the river. of the valley per mile of river 

vallev. 



4. 



Dates. 



Cubic feet of Cubic feet 
er sc 
hours. ond 



da vs ^^'^^<-'^ P^^ - ^ P^'' ^^^'' 



September 20 to 

October 1 11 110,500 

October 1 to 9 ^^ . 8 640, 000 

October 9 to 16.. 7 248,000 

October 16 to 23. 7 117,200 

Total 33 1^8,900,000 

A verage per day 270, 000 



1.28 
7.40 
2.87 
1.36 



Gallons Cubic feet of Cubic feet Gallons 
per min- water per 24 per sec- I per 
ute. hours. ond. minute. 



575 
3, 330 
1,290 

745 



3.03 i 1,360 



40, 500 

152, 000 

29, 900 

5, 950 



0.47 

1.76 

. 35 

- .069 



211 

794 

155 

- 31 



^1, 517, 000 
45, 800 



. 515 



232 



« Heavy flood on October 5. 1904. 

''Total amount contributed for each mile of the valley in thirty-three days. Converting cubic feet 
into acre-feet we find that the river lost 204 acre-feet of water to the gravels of the underflow in 
\hirty-three days, and 34.8 acre-feet were contributed by the rainfall in the same period. These 
amounts are for each mile of the valley. 



NECESSITY FOR DEEP WELLS. 

The examination of the undertlow of the Mesilla Valley was con- 
fined exclusively to the zone of ground waters, in which are all of the 
irrigation wells of the valley. These wells have a depth of from 48 
to 63 feet, and contain no more than 12 linear feet of strainer at the 
bottom. In some cases quicksand or silt was encountered at the 1)ot- 
tom of the water-bearing gravels, but in other cases the drill was 
stopped while still in good material. There are no deep wells in the 
valley, but there is no indication that good gravels will not be met with 
at greater depths than those known at present. There seems to be a 
reasonable expectation of increasing enormously the specific capacities 
of the wells, and consequently the amount of ground water available 
for irrigation b}^ drilling wells to greater depths. There is great need 
of an experimental well several hundred feet in depth that will test 
satisfactorily the ultimate possibilities of ground-water supply. 



30 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



OBSERVATIONS AT BERINO, N. MEX. 

Borino is situated in the Rio Grande Valley 15 miles south of Las 
Cruces. The ground water in this part of the valley lies for the most 



1.5 miles fapprox.) — 




Fig. 10. — Cross section of part of Rio Grande Valley at Berino, N. Mex., showing position of the water 
plane on September 16, 1904. Water could not be found in a hole excavated 3^ feet below the level 
of running water at the edge of channel of the Rio Grande. 

part within 8 or 9 feet of the surface. There is much ''bosque," or 
lowland, which is covered with dense growth of timber, and in which 
the water plane is even nearer the surface. 

A line of levels was run across the bottom lands of the vallej' at 
this point and the wells of the Horaco Ranch Company used to deter- 
mine the position of the water plane. As shown on fig. 10, the water 
plane is nearlj^ level in section A at right angles to the river valley, 
in which respect the situation at Mesilla Park is practically duplicated. 
A hole excavated to a depth of 3.47 feet below the surface of the 
running water in the river was diy at the bottom. The water plane 
is therefore some distance below the running water at low stages of 
the river, as at Mesilla Park and at points below El Paso. The losses 
of the river to the sands and gravels of its channel are undoubtedly 
small during low stages of water when the silt is heavil}^ deposited. 
The principal contribution of the river to the underflow must take 
place during flood when the j^cour is deep. 

In addition to the heavy autumn floods described above, very heavy 
floods came down the Rio Grande Valley during the spring of 1905. 
There was a good run of water during the entire winter. On this 
account the ground water at Berino in May, 1905, had risen about i 
feet above the level shown at the pumping plants in tig. 10. 



CHAPTER IV. 

SUMMARY OF TESTS OF PTMPING PT^AISTTS IIS^ SOUTHERN 
NEW MEXICO AND TRANS-PECOS TEXAS. 

The table on pp. 34-35 shows the results of tests of a number of 
pumping plants used for irrigation in the valle}^ of the Kio Grande in 
southern New Mexico and trans-Pecos Texas. Most of the headings 
in the table explain themselves. Under the heading '' Location " is 
given the post-office nearest to the ranch on which the pumping 
plant is located. The first three pumping plants, those of Felix Mar- 
tinez, W. N. French, and E. J. Hadlock, are located about 3 miles 
east of El Paso, Tex. The plants of eT. A. Smith and J. S. Porcher 
are situated in the valley of the Rio Grande about 8 miles east of El 
Paso, Tex. The plants of Barker, Bo3^er, Burke, Carrera, Hager, 
Hines, Koualt, Totten, and the Agricultural College are located in the 
valley of the Rio Grande in. the neighborhood of Las Cruces, N. Mex. 
The pumping plants of the Horaco Ranch Company are located near 
the post-office of Berino, N. Mex., which is situated 24 miles north of 
El Paso and IT miles south of Las Cruces. 

The fuel used in most of these pumping plants is gasoline, which 
term as here used includes the "distillate" manufactured from Texas 
crude oil, which is extensively used for fuel purposes. Its calorific 
value is somew^hat less than that of the gasoline used in the Eastern 
States. 

DETERMINATION OF VACUUM. 

In all of the plants, except the one of E. J. Hadlock, water is raised 
by means of centrifugal pumps, which are usually coupled directly to 
the top of the well casings. In order to determine the suction of the 
pumps it was necessary to drill a hole in the goose neck of the cen- 
trifugal pumps and insert the vacuum gage. The measurements to 
determine the distance the pumps were obliged to lift the water were 
made from this vacuum-gage tap as datum in all cases. In column 6 
is given the distance the pump is recjuired to lift the water above the 
vacuum-gage tap. In column 7 the vacuum reading is given in feet 
of water. The total lift of the pump can, therefore, be found in each 
case by adding the corresponding numbers in columns 6 and 7. In 
column 8 is given the distance that the water in the well is lowered 
during pumping. If the vacuum gage had been placed at the exact 

31 



32 GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. 141. 

level of the undisturbed ground water, the readings in column 8 would 
be identical to those in column 7. The numbers in cohuun 8 are less 
than those in column 7, because in all cases the vacuum gage stood 
some distance above the natural level of the water in the well. 

The vaciuim gage was carefully calibrated against a mercury column 
at an altitude of 3,720 feet above mean sea level, and the corrected 
readings are tabulated in all cases. In cases in which there were no 
foot valves in the suction pipe, the depth of the well and the position 
of the Avater plane could be determined by sounding through the 
(juarter-inch hole drilled for the vacuum gage. 

SPECIFIC CAPACITY. 

The numbers in column 11 express the readiness with which the 
well furnishes water to the pump. In each case the result was 
obtained by dividing the numbers in column 10 by the corresponding 
numbers in column 8; column 11, therefore, expresses the amount of 
water the wells would furnish if the water level in them was lowered 
but one foot. These numbers constitute what is known as the ''spe- 
cific capacity " of the well, and are large in case of a good well and 
small in case of a poor well. This subject is more fully discussed in 
Water-Supply Paper No. 110, Chap. VII. 

In column 12 are given the same magnitudes as in column 11, reduced 
in each case to 1 square foot of well strainer. The numbers in this 
column, therefore, express the amount of water in gallons per minute 
furnished by 1 square foot of well strainer under a head of 1 foot of 
water. They are a numerical expression of the degree of coarseness 
of the material in which the well is placed. 

COST AND OPERATING EXPENSES. 

In column 13 are given the costs of the plants expressed in round 
numbers. They are nearl}^ equivalent in most cases to $100 per horse- 
power for the total cost of engine, pump, and wells. In a few special 
cases the cost was higher. In estimating the expense of operation, an 
allowance of 10 per cent has been made for the depreciation and 
repairs and of 8 per cent for interest. It is ditticult to make an 
accurate estimate of the proportion of cost that should be charged up 
to the water recovered by an irrigation plant, on account of the pres- 
ence of several unknown factors. If the plants w(»re in operation 
every day in the year it would be relatively easy to make an 
accurate estimate of these factors in the operating expense. As it is, 
the plants are in opcM^ation for a longer or shorter period, depending 
on circumstances which vary from year to year. Most of the plants 
are used merely as auxiliaries to the supply of ditch water. In mak- 
ing the estimate of the char^•(^ for interest and depreciation it has been 
assumed that tlie plants an^ in oi)eration for two thousand hours each 



sLicHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 33 

season. This corresponds to a continuous use of three months of 
twenty-four hours daily, or two hundred days of ten hours each. It 
probably represents a fair average of the actual conditions. 

In column 15 there is giv^en a charge for labor and such other inci- 
dental expense — including oil and batteries — as is not properly included 
under the head of depreciation. The operation of the gasoline plants 
can be easily put in charge of unskilled labor, and for the smaller 
plants full time is not I'equired of such labor. 

FUEL COST. 

That part of the operating expenses which is properly chargeable 
to fuel cost can be accurately determined. Column 16 expresses the 
cost for fuel per hour. Cohnnn 18 expresses the cost per acre-foot of 
water recovered. In column 17 are given the costs of fuel for lifting 
1,000 gallons of water through a distance of 1 foot. For the purpose 
of comparison these results are expressed in fractional parts of a cent. 

In column 5 is given the price of fuel. The price of gasoline is given 
in cents per gallon in barrel lots. The price of electricitv is given in 
cents per kilowatt hour. Cost of wood at the ranch of T. Roualt is 
that of Cottonwood per cord. The price of wood at the Agricultural 
College of $2.25 per cord is the rate for small Tornillo wood, which 
has a higher calorific value than the cottonwood used by Roualt. 
iRR 141—05 3 



34 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 





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SLIGHTER.] 



TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 



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36 GROU^[D WATERS OF RIU GRANDE VALLEY. [no. HL 

COMMENTS ON THE RIO GRANDE PUMPING PLANTS. 

The pumping plants of Martinez, Frencii, Hadlock. Smith, and 
Poreher are all located in the bottom lands of the Kio (irande, from 3 
to 8 miles east of El Paso, Tex. Column 12 of the table shows that 
the specific capacity per square foot of well strainer is nearl}^ the same 
at the plants of Martinez, French, Smith No. 2, and Porcher, ranging 
from between 1.21 gallons a minute at Martinez's well to 1.3T gallons 
at French's well. These numbers, it should be remembered, repre- 
sent the amount of water furnished by each square foot of well strainer 
for 1 foot head of water, and express, therefore, the degree of coarseness 
of the material in which the strainer is placed, provided, of course, that 
the well strainers themselves offer little or no resistance to the admission 
of water to the well. The specific capacity per square foot of strainer 
at the Smith plant No. 1 and at the Hadlock plant is much smaller 
than at the others. In the case of the Hadlock well, the low specific 
capacity is no doubt due to the fact that three of the Hadlock wells 
obtain water from above a clay which overlies the sand and gravel from 
which the fourth well and the neighboring wells of Martinez and French 
draw their supply. Furthermore, the strainers on the three Hadlock 
wells consist of nothing but common pipe perforated with round holes. 
This poor form of strainer is sufficient in itself to cut down very 
materially the specific capacity of the wells. 

The low specific capacity at Smith's plant No. 1 is probal)ly due 
chief!}" to a local deposit of fine-sized water-bearing sand. There is no 
covering layer of clay over the water-bearing sands and gravels at 
these wells. The sands contain so little coarse material that fine sand 
is constantl}^ being drawn into the wells b}" the pumps. This draft on 
the sand deposit at the easternmost of the three wells at Smith's plant 
•No. 1 is so great that several wagon loads of gravel have been placed 
in the pit of the east well to replace the sand removed by the pumps. 

The tests of the 9 wells in Rio Grande Valle}- near Las Cruces, 
N. Mex., form an interesting study. The relative locations of these 
9 wells are shown in fig. 8. The rank of these wells in order of specific 
capacities per square foot of well strainer is as follows: 

Specific capaciti/j in r/allon.s )kt in I ante, of icelh nenr La>i Cruces, X. J/c.r., per aqnarefoof 

<tt strainer. 

Gals, per miii. 

Carrera : 3. 530 

Agricultural College ... 2. 320 

Mrs. Boyor 1 . 969 

Hines 1.790 

Burke 930 

Hager 7(H) 

Totten 700 

Roualt 627 

Barker 337 



SLIGHTER. 



TESTS OF PI MPING PLANTS. 37 



The first throe of these wells are located near the eastern edge of 
the river valley, and their hioh speeiric capacity is undoubtedly due 
to coarse mountain debris that has l)een deposited along the eroded 
edge of the mesa. The high specitic capacity at Hines's plant seems to 
be an exception to the general lower average prevailing in the inter- 
mediate district between the ))order of the mesa and the river channel, 
as at the plants of liager, Totten, Burke, and Barker. The low spe- 
citic capacity of the Barker w^ell is due in part to its small diameter, 
and it is to be classed, therefore, with the Burke, Totten, and Hager 
wells rather than Avith the Koualt well. This last well is close to the 
river channel. Its low specitic capacity is an indication of the pro- 
gressive fineness of the deposits as the river is approached. 

The specitic capacities should be considered exceptionall}^ high in 
the first w^ells in the al)ove list, ratJier than exceptionally low in the 
others. Even the specific capacity of the Roualt well — over one-third 
of a gallon a minute per square foot of well strainer — would be 
regarded as high in many parts of the country. 

The specific capacity of the three wells on the Horaco ranch near 
Berino, N. Mex., present an interesting stud3\ These plants are located 
but a few hundred feet apart and are identical in all respects except in 
the depth of the w^ells. Nos. 2 and 3 are 9| inches in diameter, and No. 1 
is 7 1 inches in diameter. Each has 18 linear feet of well strainer at 
the bottom, formed by drilling l^-inch holes in the casing and wrap- 
ping the casing with No. 9 galvanized iron wire, leaving one-eighth 
inch space between. The enormous diflference in the specific capaci- 
ties of these wells is entirely due to the fact that No. 1 is 75 feet deep, 
No. 2 is 53 feet deep, and No. 3 is 62 feet deep. The small expense 
necessary to sink w^ell No. 2 from a depth of 53 feet to a depth of 75 
feet should change the cost of the water recovered from $10.90 per 
acre-foot to $2.21 per acre-foot. 

Most of the pumping plants near Las Cruces have been very recently 
constructed, and changes will undoubtedly be made in man}^ of them 
as the result of the experience of the present irrigation season. The 
wells at the Agricultural College were the first ones sunk in this part 
of the valley, and an excellent report on the tests of these wells, l)y 
Professors Vernon and Lester, was issued in April, 1903. The ver}^ 
high specific capacit3^of the college wells has influenced the construction 
of the other plants. With a few exceptions, it may be said that at the 
pumping plants in Mesilla Valle}^ the engines and pumps are entirely 
too large for the wells, or the wells are too small for the pumps and 
engines. By comparing the high lifts recorded in column nine of the 
table with the amount of lowering of the water in the well, which is 
recorded in column eight, it will be seen that the lift of man}^ of the 
plants can be considerably decreased by increasing the amount of 
strainer surface in the wells. In most cases this will make necessary 



38 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



the sinking of additional wells, as the strainer surface can not be 
otherwise sufficient!}^ increased. The necessity of keeping the lift of 
the pump down to a minimum is greatl}^ emphasized in irrigation 
plants, and large strainer surface is the first requisite. 

The efficiency of the smaller plants can also be increased by the 
construction of storage reservoirs or ponds for the accumulation of 
water before it is used for irrigation. In this way the dut\^ of the 
water can be considerably increased. Barker's plant is the only one 
having such reservoirs. For plants that yield over a second-foot of 
water the reservoir is undoubtedly of little additional value. 

The investigation showed that generall}^ the speed of the centrifugal 
pumps had not been properly adjusted, and in nearly all cases was too 
high. This was undoubtedly due to the fact that the vacuum had 
never been determined, so that the total lift of the pumps was 
unknown. A table of observed and of correct speeds follows: 

Sizes and speeds {in revolutions per minute) of centrifugal pumps used in the Rio Grande 

pumping plants. 



Name of plant. 


Kind of pump. 


Actual 
speed. 


Correct 
speed. 


Martinez 


Bvron Jackson No. 5 


1,028 
938 


565 


French 


Byron Jackson No. 4 . 


890 


Smith No. 1 


Fairbanks Morse No. 6 




Smith No. 2 

Porcher 

Barker 


Byron Jackson No. 7 


585 
712 
1,110 
730 
733 
560 
668 
594 
525 
692 
695 
700 
692 


592 


Byron Jackson No. 5 


629 


Byron Jackson No. 3 


1,244 


Mrs. Boyer 


Byron Jackson No. 5 


665 


Burke 


Byron Jackson No. 6 


585 


Carrera 


Rvron .Jackson No. 5 _ . 


527 


Hager . 'do 


619 


Hines 


Rumsev No. 4 


558 


Roualt 


Van WieNo. 3 




Totten 


Byron Jackson No. 6 


606 


Horaco No. 1 . 


Byron Jackson No. 5 


513 


Horaco No. 2 


do 


624 


Hora(!o No. 3 


do 


598 









CHAPTEK V. 

IJETAII.S OF TESTS OF PUMPI:N^G PI.ANTS. 

The following pages contain detailed accounts with diagrams of the 
various pumping plants discussed in general terms in the preceding 
chapter of this report. The location of the various plants is marked 
in figs. 4 and S. 

PLANTS NEAR EL PASO, TEX. 
PLANT OF E. J. HADLOCK. 

The plant of E. J. Hadlock is located near the main country road 
near El Paso, Tex., about 400 feet east of the pumping plant of Felix 
Martinez. Water is pumped b}^ a 5^-horsepower horizontal Otto gas- 
oline engine geared to a horizontal double-acting piston pump. The 
wells consist of four 4-inch wells, arranged as shown in figs. 11 and 12. 
Three of the wells, Nos. 1, 2, and 8 in fig. 10, draw surface water from 




^We//No.4 



Fig. U.— Plan showing arrangement of wells at Hadloek'ci pnmping plant. 

above a clay stratum. The fourth well, which is 51.85 feet deep and 
penetrates the surface water and claj^, obtains very good water from 
a deposit of sand and gravel H)elow the clay. 

Wells Nos. 1, 2,* and 3 are about 30 feet deep. Each of these has 6 
feet of perforated iron pipe on the bottom, while well No. 4 has a 
6-foot strainer constructed of perforated galvanized iron. During the 
test the engine made 210 revolutions and 81 explosions per minute. 
The pump made 69 strokes per minute. The vacuum gage attached 
to the suction pipe fluctuated very eriaticall}^, showing that the pump 

39 



40 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



valves were badly worn. One end of the pump seiMiunl to be an orkino* 
very well and showed a vacuum of ^I'l inches, which is e(jui\ah*nt, 
when corrected for altitude, to 20 inches of mercury or 22.6 feet of 
water. The lift of the pump above the vacuum gage was 5.2 feet, 
making a total lift of 27.8 feet. The distance from the vacuum-gage 
tap to the water plane was 9.75 feet. The water in the well was 
lowered 13.03 feet during pumping. 

The discharge of the pump was determined bj^ means of a fully 
contracted weir, which was placed in the main irrigating ditch. The 
width of the crest was 1.01 feet, height of water on the crest was 0.313 
feet, and the discharge was 258 gallons per minute. The pump cylin- 
ders were 9i by 14 inches. With the speed noted above the pump 
should discharge, if no allowance be made for slip, 507 gallons per 
minute. It is seen that the slip of the pump was 49 per cent, which 
shows that the valves at one end of the pump were doing practically 
no work at all. 




Ft. T2.— Elevation of wells at Hadloek's pumping plant near El Paso. Tex. 

At well No. 4 the elevation above mean sea level of the water plane 
on August 29, 1904, was 3,642.08 feet, that of the top of tee on casing 
of this well and of the vacuum-gage tap was 3,651. 652 feet, and that 
of the surface was 3,656 feet. 

From the discharge (258 gallons per minute) and the amount that 
the water level in the well was lowered during pumping (13.03 feet), 
it is estimated that the specific capacity of the group of four wells is 
19. S gallons per mimite. As the combined area of well-strainer sur- 
face in all of the wells is 25 scjuare feet, tlu^ specific capacity per scpiare 
foot of strain(M- is 0.7t^2 gallons p(M' minute. 

At the time of the test, on August 16, 1904, the Iladlock pumping 
plant had been in continuous operation day and night for several 



SLIGHTER] TESTS OF PUMPIISrG PLANTS. 41 

months. The quantity of giisoline used was deterininod from the 
amount required to fill the tank to standard depth after onQ hour's 
run. As 2.1 quarts of gasoline were consumed per houi', the hourh^ 
cost for fuel, with gasoline at 11 cents per gallon, is $0.0785. The 
jneld of water in one hour was 15,500 gallons, so that the fuel cost 
was $0.00475 per 1,000 gallons, $1.58 per acre-foot, and |().000171, or 
one tiftj^-eighth of a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons (1,000 gallons raised 
one foot). 

PLANT OF W. N. FRENCH. 

At the pumping plant of W. N. French (see tig. 13) water is obtained 
from an 8-incli well, 66 feet deep, which has a 7-inch b}^ 8-foot per- 
forated galvanized iron strainer at the bottom. The water is raised 
1)3" a No. 4 Byron Jackson horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump driven 
b}" a 10-horsepower Charter gasoline engine. The engine made 189 
revolutions and 95 explosions a minute, no explosions being missed. 
The diameter of the driven pulley on the pump was 6 incjies; that of the 
driving pullej" on the engine was 30 inches. The speed of the pump 
was 938 revolutions a minute. The top of flange on the well casing is 
12.65 feet below the top of the 5-inch discharge pipe, which rises from 
the pump at an angle of 45^. Before pumping, the water stood 4.7 
feet below top of flange on the well casing. After one-half hour's 
pumping it was 18.05 feet below top of flange, showing that it was 
lowered 13.35 feet b}^ pumping. The lift of the pump above the top 
flange of the well was 12.65 feet, making a total lift of 30.70 feet. The 
elevation of the water plane in the French well on August 29, 1904, 
was 3,642.969 feet; on September 8, after several days of rain, it was 
3,643.07 feet. Between August 29 and September 8 it rained every 
day, and the neighboring pumping plant of Mr. Hadlock had not been 
in use. The elevation of the top of the delivery pipe at the French well 
was 3,658.884 feet. 

The discharge was measured both b}" integrating with a Price 
acoustic current meter in a rectangular flume and by means of a full}" 
contracted weir placed in the main ditch not far from the pumping 
plant. The cross section selected for the meter measurement had an 
average depth of 0.857 foot, an average width of 0.885 foot, and an 
area of 0.76 square foot. The average velocity of the water was 0.82 
foot per second, giving a discharge of 0.596 second-foot, or 269 gal 
Ions, per minute. 

The same discharge was also measured by a fully contracted weir. 
The length of the crest was 1.01 feet and the height of the water on 
the crest was 0.30 foot. The velocity of approach was about one- 
half foot per second, losing the weir formula, 



42 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 1-11. 



and substituting the coefficient 0.608 for the number c in the formula 
(Table 23, Merriman's Hj^draulics, 1903) we obtain, 

7=0.608 X t X 8.025 X 1.01 (.S.06)'/-2 
=0.555 Hecond-foot 
=250 gallons per minute. 



El 61^.3658.884' 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



10 H. R gasoline engine 



^^^^ 




Fi<i. 13. — Dia^rriiiii of pumping' plui.t of \V. X. French, near Kl Paso. Tox. 



The discharge as determined by the current meter has been, used in 
the follow injjf estimates: 



SLIGHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 43 

The specific capacity of the well is 20.2 gallons a minute. As the 
strainer has an area of 14.7 square feet, the specific capacit}^ for each 
square foot of strainer is 1.375 gallons per minute. 

In the French test 8 gallons of gasoline were used in ten hours. 
With gasoline at 14 cents per gallon the cost of fuel is 11.2 cents per 
hour. As 16,150 gallons of water were obtained in one hour the fuel 
cost per 1,000 gallons was $0.00695, or $2.26 per acre-foot. The total 
lift being 30.7 feet the cost per 1,000 foot-gallons was 10.000226, or 
one forty-fourth of a cent. 

PLANT OF FELIX MARTINEZ. 

The plant of Felix Martinez is located about 3 miles east of the 
court-house of El Paso, Tex., near the main country road (see fig. 4). 
It consists of a No. 5 Bj^ron Jackson horizontal-shaft centrifugal 
pump run by General Electric 10-horsepower direct-current motor, 
type C. E., class 4. The pump is located in a pit and is connected to a 
6-inch well. The well is 68 feet deep and has 10 feet of perforated or 
slotted galvanized iron strainer at the bottom. The gravels, which 
were reached at a depth of 56 feet are fairly large, but contain a great 
quantity of fine sand. The pump is connected with the well by a 5-inch 
suction pipe and discharges through a vertical and horizontal 5-inch 
pipe into a rectangular flume. The discharge was measured by inte- 
grating with a Price acoustic current meter in the rectangular flume. 
The cross section of flume where measurements were taken had an aver- 
age depth of 0.475 foot* an average width of 0.992 foot, and an area of 
0.470 foot. The mean velocity was 1.78 feet per second, giving a total 
discharge of 0.838 cubic foot per second, or 378 gallons per minute. 

The vacuum gage was attached to the goose neck of the centrifugal 
pump. After a few minutes pumping the vacuum was 18 inches, but 
it gradually fell to 24^ inches at the close of the first half hour, where 
it remained constant during the next hour. The vacuum, when cor- 
rected for altitude, is equivalent to 22.5 inches of mercuiy, or 25.5 
feet of water. 

On August 29, 1904, the elevation above sea level of the water plane 
was 3,643.18 feet; that of the vacuum-gage tap was 3,646.47 feet, 
and that of the top of discharge pipe was 3,659.90 feet. As the water 
level in the well was lowered 22. 15 feet by pumping, the total lift was, 
therefore, 38.93 feet. The specific capacity of the well is 17.5 gallons 
per minute. As the area of the well strainer is 14.4 square feet, the 
specific capacity for each square foot of well screen was 1.21 gallons 
per minute. 

The amount of electric current used during the pumping was 
determined by means of a Westinghouse watt meter. The current 
used in one hour's test (average speed of motor 1,485 revolutions a 



44 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



minute) was 4,950 watts. Spood of tho pump was 1,02S rovolutions 
a minute. The diameters of the ])ulleys are as foHows: Pulley on 
motor, 7i inches; driven pulley on countershaft, i24 inches; driving 
Dulley on countershaft, 14 inches; pulley on pump shaft, i) inches. 



/0//.P e fee trie motor 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



l^ater p/ane 

Efei^. 3.6^3. /3 on /Jug. 29. /904- 



a/ater /eye/ 






If 




^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



f44 



. L_L. 



I 

Is 

ll -^ 



J 



Fi(i. 14.— bJMKrimi of jdmipiDK plant of Folix Martinez, near Kl Paso. Tox. 

The power actually uscmI at the plant is the ecpiivalent of 4,050 watts, 
or f).f)4 horsepower. The power represented hy the discharoe of 0.838 
second-feet of water lifted 3S.t);] feet is (Mjuivaleiit to 2,030 foot- 



SLICHTEK.] 



tp:sts of tumping i^lants. 



45 



pounds per second, which is eiiual to 8.7 oU'ectivo horsepower. If 
the applied horsepower, ().64:^ is compared with the effective horse- 
power, 3.7, the total efticiency of the phuit is found to be 55.5 percent. 
The duty of the plant can be found 1)y comparing 4,950 watts, the 
electrical enero-y consumed in one hour, with 655, '200 foot-gallons, 
the work done by the pump in one hour. The resulting duty is 
182,400 foot-gallons of water per kilowatt hour of electric current. 

PLANTS OF J. A. SMITH. 

The plants of fJ. A. Smith are located (S miles east of El Paso, 
Tex., near the right of way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. There 



28 HP. gas engine 



-^2Pe_c^i^e 



v/zMmi 



'myy/A 




Fig. 15. — Diagnini of .J. A. Smith's pumping plant No. 1, near El Paso, Tex. 

are two pumping plants on the same ranch. At the first or older 
plant there are three wells, 40 feet apart, in a row. The pump pit is 
over the middle well, which is 8 inches in diameter and 62 feet deep, 
measured from the surface. Fine sand and quicksand were passed 
through to a depth of 50 feet, then 12 feet of coarse gravel containing 
much fine material was encountered. A 10-foot slotted galvanized- 
iron strainei' of the Porcher pattern was placed at the bottom of this 
well. The east well is 6 inches in diameter and 78 feet deep. The 
gravel at this point is 22 feet deep. A 16-foot Porcher strainer was 
used. The west well is 6 inches in diameter and 61 feet deep. The 
gravel was 11 feet deep, and a 10-foot Porcher strainer was used. All 



46 GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. 141. 

of the strainers have ^\ by 1^ inch slots or perforations. The hori- 
zontal 8-inch suction pipe, which extends from the central well to 
the east and west wells, is 14 feet below the surface. 

The water is pumped by a No. 6 Fairbanks-Morse horizontal- shaft 
centrifugal pump, connected with rope drive to a 28-horsepower gaso- 
line engine, with crude-oil gas generator attached. The fact that the 
engine is supplied with gas generated from Texas crude petroleum 
renders this plant of especial interest. For the amount of water 
obtained the fuel cost is the lowest I have seen recorded for a small 
plant. The attached gas generator has been in operation several 
months, running continuously day and night, except when stopped for 
cleaning each week or two. When the generator is kept clean there 
is little trouble from carbon passing from the generator into the cj^lin- 
der of the engine and cutting out the cylinder and packing. This 
plant is a decided success, as the further account to be given will show. 
The engine made 159 and the pump 544 revolutions per minute. 

The discharge was measured by integrating with a Price acoustic 
current meter in a rectangular flume. The selected cross section had 
an average depth of 0.53 foot, an average width of 1.87 feet, and an 
effective area of 0.992 square foot. The average velocity was 2.085 
feet per second, giving a discharge of 2.075 second-feet, or 934 gal- 
lons per minute. This measurement of discharge was made after 
three months of continuous pumping day and night. The elevation 
of the vacuum-gage tap, which was 0.917 foot above the top of hori- 
zontal suction pipe, was 3,631.06 feet; that of the water plane on Sep- 
tember 8, 1904, was 3,624.60 feet, and that of the middle of the 8-inch 
opening in the tee in the side of vertical discharge pipe, from which 
the water enters a horizontal wooden flume, w^as 3,645.06 feet. The 
vacuum read 22 inches, which, when corrected for altitude, is equiva- 
lent to 20 inches of mercury, or 22.7 feet of water. The total lift is, 
therefore, 36.7 feet. The water is lowered in the wells 16.24 feet by 
pumping, which gives a specific capacit}^ for the three wells of 57.4 
gallons per minute. As the total area of the strainers in all of the 
wells is 56.7 square feet, the specific capacit}^ for each scjuare foot of 
strainer is l.Ol gallons per minute. 

Several accurate tests have been made of the amount of fuel con- 
sumed at this plant. One test was made l)v the maiuifacturers of the 
gas generator, and consecpiently the consumption of crude oil a[)pears 
at a mininunn. This test lasted seventy-four hours and fifteen minutes. 
The amount of crude oil consumed was 241 gallons, or 3.24 gallons per 
hour. With oil at 3 cents per gallon, the cost of fuel will be $2.34 per 
day of twenty-four hours. The cost of water was, therefore, If mills, 
or ten fifty-sevenths of a cent per 1,000 gallons, or 57 cents per acre- 
foot. The lift being 36.7 feet, the cost of 1,000 foot-gallons was one 
two hundred and tenth of a cent. 



SLIGHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 47 

Another experimental test of the plant was made when the engine 
was in charge of the regular help employed on the ranch. No effort 
was made to save oil or make a record, everything being managed 
exactly as it was during several months of pumping for irrigation. 
The test was for forty and one- half hours, extending over four con- 
secutive days of about ten working hours each. The amount of crude 
oil used was 163.5 gallons, or 97 gallons per twenty-four hours, or 
4.03 gallons per hour. This represents, therefore, the actual rate at 
which oil was consumed during the irrigation season. The cost of 
fuel is $2.90 per twenty-four hours, 12 cents per hour, ten forty-sixths 
of a cent per 1,000 gallons, and one one hundred and seventj^ -first of 
a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

The cost of the water at the same plant, when pumped with gaso- 
line, was also determined. In a test of eleven hours' run with same 
engine, using gasoline instead of crude oil gas, 40 gallons of gasoline 
were consumed, or 3.64 gallons per hour. At 14 cents per gallon, the 
hourly cost for gasoline was $0.51. This makes the fuel cost of water 
$0.0092 per 1,000 gallons and $0.000236, or one forty-second of a (^ent 
per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

The above estimates do not represent, of course, the total cost of 
pumping, as no items have been included to cover interest, deprecia- 
tion, labor, etc. 

The 934 gallons per minute furnished by the above plant amounts 
to a little over 2 second-feet, or 4 feet per twenty-four hours. The 
cost of fuel per acre-foot of water was, therefore, 70 cents when using 
crude oil and $2.95 when using gasoline costing 14 cents a gallon. 

J. A. Smith's pumping plant No. 2 is about 1,000 feet north of plant 
No. 1, which is on the same ranch. There are two 8-inch wells, 40 
feet apart, in an east-west line. Each one is 60 feet deep and is 
equipped with 12 feet of Porcher slotted galvanized iron strainer. 
The gravel bed is 12 feet thick and is overlain bj^ a thick deposit of 
clay and hardpan. A No. 7 vertical shaft Byron Jackson centrifugal 
pump is connected to an 8-inch horizontal suction pipe that is 12.25 
feet below surface. The pump is 7 feet from the east well and 33 feet 
from the west well. It was driven at a speed of 585 revolutions per 
minute by a 22-horsepower Fairbanks-Morse gasoline engine. The 
engine made 195 revolutions per minute, the engine being belted to 
the pump shaft from 36-inch driving pulley to 12-inch driven pulley. 
The vacuum shown at center of the suction pipe was 25 inches, or 23 
mches of mercur}^ when corrected for altitude, corresponding to 26.1 
feet of water. The vacuum-gage tap is 14.85 feet below the top of the 
discharge pipe, above which the discharge jet rises 0.6 foot, so that the 
total lift is 41.45 feet. A vertical 10-inch pipe delivers the water into 
a nearly horizontal rectangular flume in which the discharge was meas- 



4b 



(tKuund waters of kio (irande valley. 



[NO. 14 1. 



ured by integrating' with u Price acoustic current meter. The dis- 
charge was determined to be 2.945 second-feet, or 1,325 gallons, per 
minute. As the water in the wells was lowered 21 feet below the 



^^ H. P gasoline t 




V\r,. l(i.— Diagram of .1. A. Smith's pumping plant No. 2. near El Paso, Tex. 

normal water plane by the pumps, the specific capacity of the two 
wells was 63.2 gallons per minute, or since the total strainer surface 
is 46 square feet, 1.37 gallons per minute for each square foot of 
strainer. 



SLIGHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 49 

The expense of pumping at this plant can readily be estimated as 
far as the cost of fuel is concerned. The engine, as run in the above 
test, consumed per hour 2.5 gallons of gasoline or distillate, costing 14 
cents per gallon. The fuel cost is, therefore, 35 cents per hour, 0.44 
cent per 1,000 gallons, $0.000106, or one ninety-fourth of a cent, per 
1,000 foot-gallons, and $1.43 per acre-foot. 

PLANT OF J. S. PORCHER. 

This pumping plant is located on the ranch of J. S. Porcher, in the 
liio Grande Valley, about 8 miles east of El Paso, Tex., and about 
1,000 feet east of J. A. Smith's first wells. Water is obtained from 
a well 8i inches in diameter and 60 feet deep. The water-bearing 
gravel has a thickness of 12^ feet and lies below a layer of quicksand. 
There is a 12-foot slotted galvanized iron strainer at the bottom of the 
well. Mr. Porcher first used this type of strainer in the Rio Grande 
Valley. At the present time this form of strainer is universally used, 
and is known as the ''Porcher" strainer (see PI. II, E), Water is 
raised by a No. 5 Byron Jackson horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump 
driven by a 15-horsepower Columbus gasoline engine. The engine 
made 212 revolutions and 75 explosions per minute. The diameter of 
driving pulley was 30 inches and that of driven pulley 8 inches. The 
pump made 712 revolutions per minute. The water is discharged 
through an 8-inch vertical pipe into a rectangular wooden flume. The 
discharge from this rectangular flume was measured by integrating 
with a Price acoustic current meter. The selected cross section had 
an average depth of 0.1792 foot, a width of 1.92 feet, and an area of 
0.344 square foot. The current meter showed that the average velocity 
was 4.245 feet per second, which gives a discharge of 1.46 second-feet, 
or 658 gallons per minute. The vacuum gage read 22.4 inches, which, 
when corrected for altitude, is equivalent to 20.4 inches of mercury, 
or 23.07 feet of water. The elevation of the ground water at the well 
on September 5, 1904, was 3,627.59 feet and that of the vacuum-gage 
tap was 3,630.07 feet, so that the water in the well was lowered 20.59 
feet by pumping. As the vacuuTn-gage tap is 12.8 feet below the top 
of the discharge pipe the total lift is 35.87 feet. 

Since the water level in the well was lowered 20.59 feet, the specific 
capacity of the well is estimated to be 32 gallons per minute, or 1.28 
gallons per minute for each square foot of strainer. 

The amount of gasoline used in running the engine was determined 
in two test runs. During the first test the consumption of gasoline 
from 6 a. m. to 4 p. m. was ascertained by measurements in the gaso- 
line reservoir. In the ten hours' test there was used 14.3 gallons, or 
1.43 gallons per hour. In the second test Mr. Porcher determined the 
time necessary to consume 5 gallons of gasoline in the engine. At 6.30 
a. m. on the day of the test 5 gallons of gasoline were placed in the empty 
IRK 141—05 4 



50 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



gasoline reservoir. All the gasoline had been used up by 10.20 a. m., 
so that the consumption was 5 gallons in 3.83 hours, or 1.31 gallons 
per hour. As the engine was run with considerable care during these 



f5 H P gasoZ/'ne engine 



Wooc/en f/ume 




DiaKram of pumping plant of J. S. rorclier. iionr Kl Pmso 'I'.x. 



tests, it is probable that the consunipt ion of gasoline nornially runs as 
high as 15 gallons for ten hours. The hourly cost for fuel, with gaso- 
line at 14 cents per gallon, Avas 21 cents. As 39,500 gallons of water 



sLicHTER.] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 51 

were obtained in one hour, the cost was $0.00531 per 1,000 gallons, 
$1.73 per acre-foot, and $0.0001, or one sixty- seventh of a cent, per 
1,000 foot-gallons. 

A 4i-acre field of alfalfa can l)e irrigated with the pump in from 
fourteen to nineteen hours. After a rain it was irrigated in fourteen 
hours, but sixteen hours usually are required. A number of irrigations 
of the same field have varied from sixteen to eighteen hours each. 
This field was irrigated every seven days, and the crop taken off at the 
end of the fourth week, so there were three irrigations to a crop. 

With gasoline, or distillate, at 14 cents per gallon, or $2.36 per acre, 
per crop of alfalfa (three irrigations), the crop cut from the field 
averaged fully a ton to an acre, and at the selling price of $12 to 
$11 per ton, the irrigation with the pump could be carried on at a good 
profit. If the selling price had been as low as $7 per ton there would 
be no profit in the irrigation of alfalfa by pumping. 

TESTS OF PUMPIMG PLANTS IN MESILLA VALLEY, NEW MEXICO. 

PLANT OF F. 0. BARKER. 

This plant is located on the ranch of Mr. F. C. Barker, about 1 mile 
south of Las Cruces, N. Mex. The pumping plant is used to irrigate 
about 20 acres of gsrrden truck. Water is obtained from a 6-inch 
well, 48 feet deep, containing 12 feet of slotted galvanized-iron 
strainer at the bottom. The water is raised by a No. 3 Byron Jackson 
horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump, driven by a 5-horsepower Otto 
gasoline engine. The engine is belted directly to the pump from a 20- 
inch driving pulley to a 6-inch driven pulleJ^ The engine made 334 
revolutions and from 92 to 97 explosions per minute. The speed of 
the pump was 1,110 revolutions per minute. 

The vacuum-gage tap was 2.92 feet above the water plane in Sep- 
tember, 1904, and 17.73 feet below the center of 3-inch horizontal dis- 
charge pipe. The lift of the pump above the vacuum-gage tap when 
discharging into the first of two irrigation reservoirs is 17.73 feet. 

The lift above the vacuum-gage tap when discharging into the sec- 
ond irrigation reservoir was 20.18 feet. The vacuum gage read 24.50, 
which, when corrected for altitude, is equivalent to 22.50 inches of 
mercury, or 25.4 feet of water. This makes the total lift when filling 
the second reservoir 45.58 feet. 

The discharge of the pump was ascertained by determining, by means 
of a stop watch, the time required to fill a tank holding 47.6 gallons. 
As the tank was filled in 21.8 seconds, the discharge of the pump is 
0.291 second-foot, or 131 gallons per minute. As the water level in 
the well is lowered 22.48 feet during pumping, the specific capacity 
of the well must be 5.83 gallon per minute, or 0.337 gallons per minute 
for, each square foot of strainer. 



52 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



This pumping plant is unusually well constructed. The machinery 
is well housed, and there are two concrete-lined reservoirs for storing 




20^^drii/ing pulley 
6 drii/en " 



5 H.R gasoline 
engine 



-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 




Fk;. is.— DiaKraiii of immpiiiK pltiiit of F. ('. Barkor. near Las Cruces. N. Mex. 

water for irrigation. It takes the pump eight hours to till a reservoir, 
which is emptied in about an hour's irrigation. The cost of the plant 
complete was $1,200. 



siJCHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 53 

The amount of gasoline used was not accurately determined, but it 
hardly exceeded one-half gallon per hour when the engine was develop- 
ing about its full horsepower. With gasoline at 17 cents a gallon, the 
fuel cost may safely be put at 9 cents an hour. On this basis the fuel 
cost of water was $0.0115 per 1,000 gallons, $3.73 per acre-foot, and 
$0.000252, or one-fortieth of a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

PLANT OF J. C. CARRERA. 

This plant is located on the ranch of J. C. Carrera, about half way 
between Las Cruces and Mesilla Park, N. Mex., near the east or upper 
highwaj^ between the Agricultural College and Las Cruces. The well 
is 6 inches in diameter and 58 feet deep, and is equipped with a slotted 
galvanized-iron strainer 5^ inches in diameter by 15 feet long. The 
water is recovered bj^ a No. 5 Byron Jackson horizontal-shaft centrif- 
ugal pump, driven by an 8-horsepower Fairbanks-Morse gasoline 
engine. The engine ran at a speed of 234 revolutions a minute, miss- 
ing no explosions. The pump was driven at a speed of 560 revolutions 
a minute b}^ direct belting to engine from 20-inch driving puUej^ to 
8-inch driven pulle3\ 

The v^acuum-gage tap was 12.65 feet below the center of the 5f-inch 
horizontal discharge pipe and 5.72 feet above the water, which, when 
the well was first dug, three j^ears before the test, was 2.7 feet higher 
than at present. The vacuum gage read 14.5 inches, which gives, after 
correction for altitude, 12.5 inches of mercury or 14.2 feet of water. 
The total lift was therefore 26.85 feet. The discharge of the pump 
was 1.44 second-feet or 648 gallons a minute. The water in the well 
was lowered onl}" 8.48 feet, so that the specific capacity of the well is 
76.4 gallons per minute, or 3.53 gallons per minute for each square 
foot of well strainer. 

Twelve gallons of gasoline were used for eleven hours' run, including 
the amount consumed by igniting torch. With gasoline at 17 cents 
per gallon, the fuel cost of water is I7f cents an hour, 0.456 cents per 
1,000 gallons, $1.48 per acre-foot, and $0,017 or one fifty-ninth of a 
cent per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

PLANT OF FRANK BURKE NEAR MESILLA, N. MEX. 

This plant is located on the ranch of Frank Burke, about one-half of 
a mile south of Mesilla Park, N. Mex. Water is obtained from a 12- 
inch well, 52 feet deep, containing 11^ feet of slotted galvanized-iron 
strainer at the bottom. The well passes through 8 feet of soil and 
sand, 14 feet of quicksand with small pebbles, and 38 feet of sand and 
gravel of maximum size 3 inches. The water is recovered by a No. 6 
Byron Jackson horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump, driven by a 21- 
horsepower Otto gasoline engine. The engine is belted to a pump 



54 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



.shaft from 40-inch driving pulle}^ on engine, thence to a 20-inch driven 
pullev on countershaft, thence from 16-inch driving pulley on counter- 
shaft to 10-inch driven pulley on pump shaft. The speed of pump 



6 H. R gasoline engine 



20" driving pulley 
8" driven " 




Fi(i. ly.— Diagram of pumping plant of J. (J. Carrera, near Las Criices, N. Mex. 

during the test was 733 revolutions per minute, and of the engine 
240 revolutions per minute. 

The vacuum gage was placed in the goose neck of the pump, and 
the tap was 14.85 feet below the center of the horizontal discharge 



SLIGHTER.] 



TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 



55 



pipe. The vacuum gage read 25.25 inches, which, when corrected for 
altitude, is equivalent to 23.25 inches of mercury, or 25.6 feet of 
water. The total lift of the pump was, therefore, 40.45 feet. 



21 HP gas o/ine eng/n e 




Fig. 20.— Diagram of pumping plant of Frank Burke, near Mesilla Park, N. Mex. 

The discharge of the pump was determined by integrating with a 
Price acoustic-current meter in a rectangular flume through which the 



56 GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. l4l. 

water was led after it had passed into the main ditch. The area of the 
water at the selected cross section was 0.383 square foot, and the mean 
velocity was 4.21 feet per second, making the discharge 1.61 second 
feet, or 725 gallons per minute. The level of the water in the well 
was lowered 22.85 feet by pumping, whence it is concluded that the 
specific capacity of the well is 25.4 gallons per minute, or 0.934 gal- 
lon per minute for each square foot of strainer. 

This plant had been run for very short periods and no conclusive esti- 
mate of the amount of gasoline consumed can be made. During the test 
the engine Avas not run at its full capacit3\ The gasoline tank was so 
constructed that an accurate measurement could not be made. The 
amount of gasoline consumed, however, did not vary greatl}^ from 2 
gallons an hour. With gasoline at 17 cents per gallon, the fuel cost 
of water was 34 cents per hour, $0.0078 per 1,000 gallons, §2.52 per 
acre-foot, and $0.000193, or one fifty-second of a cent per 1,000 foot- 
gallons. 

PLANT OF MRS. E. M. BOYER. 

The plant of Mrs. E. M. Boyer is located about one-fourth of a mile 
north of the railroad station at Las Cruces, N. Mex. Water is obtained 
from a well 52 feet deep cased with 6-inch standard pipe. The well 
is equipped with a slotted galvanized iron Porcher strainer 5^ inches 
diameter and 12 feet in length. The slots are three-sixteenths bj^ 1^ 
inches. The well driller reports the following log of the well: 18 
inches of soil; dry sand to 20 feet; quicksand below this, changing to 
coarse gravel and bowlders containing sand, in which the strainer wa^i 
left. The pumps threw a good heavj^ stream of water as soon as 
started, onl}^ a few bushels of sand being drawn through the strainer. 

Water is recovered by means of a No. 5 Bja'on Jackson horizontal- 
shaft centrifugal pump, driven bj^ a 12-horsepower Olds gasoline 
engine. The engine is directly belted to a pump from 30-inch driving 
pulley to 8-inch driven pulleJ^ The engine made 208 revolutions and 
93 explosions per minute. The speed of the pump was 728 revolu- 
tions per minute. The vacuum gage during pumping stood at 22 
inches, which, corrected for altitude, is equivalent to 20 inches of 
mercury, or 22.7 feet of water. On September 19, 1904, the water 
plane stood 2.94 feet below the vacuum-gage tap, or 3,836.867 feet 
above mean sea level. The vacuum-gage tap was 14.3 feet below the 
surface and 17.6 feet below the center of the 6-inch horizontal dis- 
charge pipe. The discharge of the pump was 1.46 second-feet, or 658 
gallons per minute. The total lift of the pump was 40.3 feet, and 
the water level in the well was lowered 19.76 feet during pumping. 
The specific capacity of the well is thus 33.3 gallons per minute, or 
1.969 gallons per minute for each square foot of strainer. 

A fifty-hour test of this pumping plant w as run bv F. H. Bascom, of 



SLIGHTER.] 



TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 



57 



Las Cruces, who reports that 48 gallons of gasoline were consumed 
during that time. With gasoline at 17 cents a gallon the fuel cost of 



IZH.P^asoh'ne engine 



I 30 driving pu//ey 

K Q" driven " e"disch3rge pipe 



^^^m^mm^^^^^m^ 




Fig. 21.— Diagram of pumping plant of Mrs. E. M. Boyer, near Las Cruces, N. Mex. 

water would be 16.3 cents an hour, 0.412 cents per 1,000 gallons, $1.84 
per acre-foot, and $0.000102, or one ninety-eighth of a cent per 1,000 
foot-gallons. 



58 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



PLANT OF W. N. HAGER. 



This pumping plant is located on the ranch of W. N. Hager, about 
one-half mile west of the railroad station at Mesilla Park, N. Mex. 



12 //. P gasofme cng/ne 



-18'^ 



l^ooc/en f/u/ve 




Fi<i. 22.- DiuKnun of punijiinp j)l}int of W. N. Hager, near Mesilla Park, N. Mex. 

Water is obtamed from a lO-inch well, 63 feet deep, containing a 
12-foot, slotted, galvanized-iron Porcher strainer, 9f inches in diam- 



SLKHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS.. 59 

eter. The pumping is done by a No. 5 Byron Jackson horizontal- 
shaft, centrifugal pump, directly connected to the 10-inch well casing. 
The pump is driven by a l^-horsepower Weber gasoline engine, power 
being transmitted by a belt from 24-inch driving pulley to 18-inch 
pulleys on countershaft, thence to 8-inch driven pulley on pump shaft. 

At the time of the test the engine made 243 revolutions and 76 
explosions per minute. The speed of the pump was 668 revolutions a 
minute. The pump discharges through a 7#-inch vertical discharge 
pipe into a rectangular wooden flume. The discharge was measured 
by Integrating in this flume with a Price acoustic current meter. The 
width of flume Avas 1.63 feet. At the selected cross section the water 
had an average depth of 0.308 feet and an average velocitj^ of 1.171 
feet per second. The total discharge was therefore 0.590 second-feet, 
or 325 gallons a minute. An attempt was made to catch the water in 
a tub holding 15.9 gallons. The time required to fill the tub was 
determined b}^ a stop watch, but as the ^ater had to be diverted into 
the tul) by closing a gate at the end of the rectangular flume, the 
results are not satisfactor3\ The average time required to fill the tul) 
in seven trials was 4.3 seconds, indicating a discharge of only 209 gal- 
lons a minute. This result is known to be valueless, but it illustrates 
the impracticabilit}^ of measuring such a discharge by means of a small 
tub, unless the tub can be placed directly under the discharging stream 
of water without the necessity of diverting the water to one side. 

The vacuum-gage tap was 16.27 feet below the surface, and 16.84 
feet below the top of the 7t-inch discharge pipe. The water jet is 
0.33 feet above the mouth of the discharge pipe. The vacuum gage 
read 17.5 inches, or 15.5 inches of mercur}^, when corrected for altitude. 
This is equivalent to 17.6 feet of water, making total lift of pump 
34.77 feet. The vacuum-gage tap was 2.405 feet above the water 
plane, so that the water in well was lowered 15.2 feet during pumping. 
The specific capacity of the well is therefore 22.5 gallons per minute, 
or 0.76 gallons per minute for each square foot of well strainer. 

The amount of gasoline used was determined by measurement in a 
round tank 1.87 feet in diameter. In one hour a depth of 0.09 feet 
of gasoline was consumed, or 1.84 gallons. With gasoline at 17 cents 
per gallon, the fuel cost of water was 31 cents per hour, 1.6 cents per 
1,000 gallons, and $5.14 per acre-foot. The lift being 34.77 feet, the 
cost of fuel for 1,000 foot-gallons was $0.00046, or one twenty-second 
of a cent. 

PLANT OF A. L. HINE8. 

This plant is located on the ranch of Dr. A. h: Hines, about 1 mile 
north of east from the old village of Mesilla. Water is obtained from 
a well 5f inches in diameter and 59 feet deep. The log of this well 
showed 8 feet of soil, 11 feet of dry sand, 28 feet of quicksand, and 12 



60 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



feet of gravel on top of quicksand of unknown thickness. The water 
is recovered by a No. -t Rumsey horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump, 
which is driven by an 8-horsepower vertical gasoline engine placed on 



8H.P..yert/ca/ 
gasoZ/ne engine 




Fk;. 23.— Diagram of pumping plant of A. L. Hines, nearMesilla, N. Mex. 

sills extending across the top of the well ))it. The engine was manu- 
factured by the Chicago Gas Engine Company. It is directU' belted 
to pump shaft from a 24-inch driving pulley and 9-inch driven pulley. 



sLicHTER.] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 61 

The engine made 238 revolutions and 119 explosions per minute. 
The speed of the pump was 594 revolutions per minute. 

The water phme was 2.92 feet below the vacuum -gage tap in goose- 
neck of pump on September 15, 1904, and 2.23 feet below on June 1, 
1904; the water plane had fallen, therefore, in this interval about 8i 
inches. The pumping plant had been in use only twentj^ daj^s during 
the summer. The vacuum-gage tap was 19.05 feet below the center 
of the horizontal 5f-inch discharge pipe. The vacuum gage read 17 
inches, which, corrected for altitude, is equivalent to 15 inches of mer- 
cury, or 17 feet of water. The total lift of the pump was, therefore, 
36.05 feet. 

The discharge was measured with great precision by determining 
with a stop watch the time required to fill a wrought-iron rectangular 
tank. The water was conducted across the tank by means of an extra 
piece of iron pipe until the pumping plant had been in operation for 
some time, when the extra pipe was suddenly pulled off. The tank 
held 15.08 cubic feet and was filled in 30.6 seconds. The discharge 
was, therefore, 0.492 second-foot, or 271 gallons per minute. 

An excellent opportunity was offered for testing the accuracy of 
estimating the discharge from partly filled pipes by determining the 
mean velocity of the stream by a small current meter. Only 44.3 per 
cent of the cross section of the 5f -inch discharge pipe was filled by the 
water raised b}^ the pump. The area of the cross section was 0.076 
square foot, and the velocity of the water, as* given by the current 
meter, was 8.47 feet per second. The discharge was, therefore, 0.642 
"iecond-foot, or 290 gallons per minute. The true discharge was 271 
gallons per minute, showing an error of 5.3 per cent in the meter 
determination. 

The water in the well was lowered 14.08 feet during pumping; there- 
fore, the specific capacity of the well was 19.2 gallons per minute. As 
the area of the well strainer was 11.3 square feet, the specific capacity- 
per square foot of well strainer was 1.79 gallons per minute. 

At this plant 1.5 gallons of gasoline were used per hour. This is 
at least 50 per cent more than should have been used. With gasoline 
at 17 cents a gallon, the hourly cost of fuel was 25i cents. As the 
yield was 16,250 gallons of water an hour, the fuel cost was $0.0157 
per 1,000 gallons, $5.10 per acre-foot, and $0.000435, or one twenty- 
third of a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

PLANT OF TFIEODORE ROUALT. 

This plant is on the ranch of Theodore Roualt, about 3 miles north- 
west of Las Cruces, N. Mex. Water is obtained from a 10-inch well 
48 feet deep that contains 10 feet of 9f -inch slotted galvanized-iron 
strainer. It is raised by a No. 3 Van Wie vertical-shaft centrifugal 
pump, driven by a 10- horsepower Nagle steam engine, on 18-horsepower 



62 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



horizontal wood-burning boiler. The engine is directly belted to the 
pump shaft from a 30-inch driving pulle}^ to a 12-inch driven pulley. 

-^10 HP. steam engine 



Wooden f/ume 



dri\//ng pu/fey 
cfrii/en 




Fig. 24.— Diagram of pumping plant of Theodore Roualt. near Las Cruecs, N. Mex. 

The water in discharged through an 8-inch vertical pipe into a 
rectangular flume. 

The engine made 205 and the pump 525 revolutions per minute. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 






WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 


141 PL. V 




^V 








-1^ 


m'^ 


igU^t 










1^^ 






fvH 


.)"-X 


H-< ■/..■ 


■KuJT^ 


>?■■ 

r 


#*■ 


•^ 

■- 


/jVjgjH 


■(-'' 


^■A'.-- 


■^m^^ 


1 




*-■■■•■' ': 




» 


4 

^-^ 


^=^--. 


-^^tflfti^ 


■r 


a 


1, " 






j*i^^ 


.'« 



^. DISCHARGE FROM WELL NO. 1, HORACO RANCH COMPANY. 



■^fr'. 



MHJs^mii 






7|»»i(it*r^»-' 






B. PUMPING PLANT OF T. ROUALT, 



SLIGHTER.] 



TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 63 



The steam pressure varied between 81 and 83 pounds. The vacuum- 
gage tap was 3.64 feet above the water plane, 7.96 feet below the top 
of bottom plank of flume, and 8.66 feet below the top of water jet. 

The vacuum gage read 24.25 inches, which is equivalent, when cor- 
rected for altitude, to 22.25 inches of mercury, or 25.5 feet of water, 
making the total lift 34.16 feet. The discharge was measured by inte- 
grating with a Price acoustic current meter in the rectangular flume. 
The selected cross section had a width of 1.19 feet, an average depth 
of 0.35 foot, and an area of 0.417 square foot. As the average velocity 
was 1.867 feet per second, the discharge was 0.78 second-foot or 351 
gallons per minute. From this it is estimated that the specific capacity 
of the well is 16 gallons per minute, or 0.627 gallon per minute for 
each square foot of strainer. 

The cost of fuel used for pumping can be readily estimated from care- 
ful tests bj^ Mr. Roualt. For one irrigation of a 70-acre field of toma- 
toes the pump was run twenty-eight days of twenty-four hours, and 
75 cords of cottonwood, costing $2 per cord, were consumed. During 
the twent5"-eight days of twenty-four working hours each 14,150,000 
gallons, or 43.5 acre-feet, of water were pumped. The total cost of 
wood being $120, the fuel cost of water was 1.06 cents per 1,000 gal- 
lons, $3.45 per acre-foot, and $0.00031, or about one thirty-second of 
a cent, per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

PLANT OF G. H. TOTTEN. 

This plant is located on the ranch of G. H. Totten, about one-half of 
a mile west of the old village of Mesilla, N. Mex. Water is obtained 
from a 10-inch well, 62 feet deep, that contains IH feet of 9-inch slot- 
ted galvanized-iron strainer. It is raised by a No. 6 Byron Jackson 
horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump, driven by a 28-horsepower Ohio 
gasoline engine. The engine is belted from a 36-inch driving pulley 
to a 16-inch pulley on countershaft; thence from a 15-inch pulley on 
countershaft to a 10-inch pulley on pump. The engine made 205 rev- 
olutions and an average of 78 explosions per minute. The speed of 
the pump was 692 revolutions a minute. 

The water is delivered through an 8-inch vertical discharge pipe into 
a horizontal rectangular wooden flume. The vacuum-gage tap on 
pump was 3.9 feet above the water plane, 16.83 feet below top of dis- 
charge pipe, and 16.95 feet below top of water jet. The vacuum gage 
read 25.25 inches, which is equivalent, after correction for altitude, 
to 23.25 inches of murcury, or 26.4 feet of water. The total lift is, 
therefore, 43.35 feet. 

The discharge was measured by integrating with a Price acoustic 
current meter in rectangular flume. The selected cross section had a 
width of 1.83 feet, an average depth of 0.38 foot, and an effective area 



64 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



of 0.695 square foot. The mean velocity of the water was 1.482 feet 
per second, g'iving a total discharge of 1.03 second-feet, or 464 gallons 
per minute. 



ZQ H.P ^gso/ine engine 




Fk;. 25.— Diagram of pumping plant of G. H.ToUen, near Mesilla. N. Mex. 

The water in the well was lowered 22.5 feet during pumping, from 
which the specific ca])acity of the well is estimated to be 20.6 gallons 
a minute, or 0.76 gallon per mimite for each scjuare foot of strainer. 



SLIGHTER.] 



TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 



65 



The discharge was also determined from the dimensions of the para- 
bola of flow as the water left the Hume. The end of the flume was 
almost exactly level and the water fell freely for a sutticient distance 
to permit the determination of the dimensions of the parabola of the 
fall. This is shown in flg. 26. The water had an averaoe depth of 
0.171 foot at the end of flume, and in a total fall of 2.05 feet moved 
forward 1.285 feet. According to the laws of falling bodies, a body 
falls 2.05 feet in 0.356 second. If the water advances 1.285 feet in 
0.356 second, its mean velocity per second would be 1.285 divided by 
0.356, or 3.6 feet. The area of the stream is 0.171 by 1.83, or 0.313 
square foot. This gives a total discharge of 1.13 second-feet, or 507 
gallons per miiuite. These results are undoubtedly slightly too large. 

The pumping plant had been used but a short time, and no experi- 
mental run had been made to determine the cpiantit}^ of gasoline 
required. As the gasoline tank was situated so that without a consid- 



1.285 




Fig. 26.— Parabola of discharge from flume at Totten's well. 

erable expenditure of time it was impracticable to ascertain the amount 
of gasoline used, no determination was made during the test. How- 
ever, it was estimated that the 28-horsepower engine gave 22 effective 
horsepower. It may therefore be safely assumed that about 2.2 gal- 
lons of gasoline were used per hour. If this amount were used, and 
gasoline costs 17 cents per gallon, the fuel cost of water would be 37 
cents an hour, $0.0133 per 1,000 gallons, $4.34 per acre-foot, and 
$0.000307, or about one thirty-third of a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

PLANT AT A(;RICULTURAL COLLEGE. 

This plant consists of a 12-inch and a 6-inch well located on the 
experimental farm of the New Mexico Agricultural College. A com- 
plete test of this plant was not made, as the work with these wells is 
frequently reported upon by members of the faculty of the Agricul- 
iRR 141 — 05 5 



66 



GKOUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



tural College. Onl}^ sufficient tests were made to determine the specific 
capacity of the large well in order to make comparisons possible with 
the other pumping plants in the valley. At the time of the test a 



20 H p. steam eng/ne 




Fio. 27.— Diagram of Aprricnltural Colics*' 12-iiicli wt'll. Mosilla Park. X. ^Fcx. 

No. () Fairbanks-Morse ccMitrifugal })ump was in use, but the pumps 
are frequently changed for experimental ])urposes. The pump is 
speeded so as to discharge 1,000 gallons a minute at the measuring 



SLIGHTER.] 



TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 



67 



weir, in order that a known amount of water may be provided for the 
experimental phits of ground. 

At the time of the test there was in use a 80-horsepower steam 
engine, which has ample power to drive pumps placed on both wells. 
When both wells are used, about 1,800 gallons per minute can be 
obtained. 

On August 25, 1904, the vacuum gage read 13 inches, which, cor- 
rected for altitude, is equivalent to 11 inches of mercury, or 12.45 
feet of water. The lift above the vacuum -gage tap was 17.10 feet, 
making the total lift 29.55 feet. The water level in the well was 
lowered 11.37 feet by pumping, from which the specific capacity of 
the well is computed to be 88 gallons per minute. As the well strainer 
is 12 inches in diameter, 12 feet long, and 27.6 square feet in area, the 
specific capacity per square foot of strainer is 2.32 gallons per minute. 

The cost of fuel per acre-foot, as given in the table on p. 35, is 
taken from the bulletin issued by Professors Vernon and Lester in 
1903. These results were obtained with a 20-horsepower steam engine 
formerly used. These results are included in the table for the pur- 
pose of comparison with the results at other plants. 

TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS NEAR BERING, N. MEX. 
PLANTS OF HORACO RANCH COMPANY. 

The Horaco Ranch Companj^ has three plants in an east- west line on 
a ranch just west of Berino, N. Mex. The east well is No. 3, the 
middle well is No. 1, and the west well is No. 2. 

Well No. 3 is 62 feet deep. It is cased with 9f-inch pipe and con- 
tains 18 feet of strainer made of Of-inch casing drilled with forty 1^- 




'^eZ/A'oe 



Well No3 



Fig. 28.— Plan of pumping plants of the Horaco Ranch Company, Berino, N. Mex. 

inch holes to every linear foot of strainer and wound with No. 9 gal- 
vanized-iron wire wrapped so as to leave horizontal slots one-eighth 
of an inch in width. This strainer is locally known as the ''Mott" 
strainer. 

Water is obtained b}^ means of a No. 5 Byron Jackson horizontal- 
shaft centrifugal pump, driven by a 12-horsepower Weber gasoline 
engine. The water is discharged through a 7-inch pipe, which rises 



68 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[:,'0. 141. 



at an angle of 45^ from the pump in the well pit. The engine made 
244 revolutions and 1)7 explosions per minute. The pump made 61)2 
revolutions a minute, and was belted directly to the engine from a 



:^2_:5^^e 



12 H P ^aso/me engine 




Fig. 29.— Diagram of pnmpinpr plant No. 3, Horaco Ranch Company. 

24-inch driving pulley to a 7-inch driven pulley. On September 11, 
1904, the water plane was 2.25 feet below the vacuum-gage tap, 
which was 11.56 feet below the end of the discharge pipe. The 



SLIGHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 69 

vacuum gage read, after one hour's pumping, 19.8, which, when cor- 
rected for altitude, is equivalent to 17.8 inches of mercury, or 20.8 
feet of water. The total lift of the pump was, therefore, 32.36 feet. 

The discharge was measured by holding a small Price acoustic 
current meter in the mouth of the 7-inch discharge pipe. It was 1.71 
second-feet, or 750 gallons a minute. 

As determined by Mr. E. L. Houck, principal owner of the Horaco 
ranch, a barrel of 50 gallons of gasoline was consumed by the engine 
at well No. 3 in fifty-three hours. With gasoline at 17 cents per 
gallon the fuel cost of water was 16 cents an hour, or $0.00356 per 
1,000 gallons, or $1.16 per acre-foot. Since the total lift of the pump 
is 31.76 feet, the cost of fuel for 1,000 foot-gallons is $0.000112, or 
one eightv-ninth of a cent. The consumption of gasoline at the time 
of the test was measured by noting the changing level of the gasoline 
in a cylindrical tank 1.85 feet in diameter. The change of level in 
one hour was 0.0867 foot. This is equivalent to 1.76 gallons an hour. 
On this basis the fuel cost of water was $2.23 per acre-foot, and 
$0.000314, or one forty-seventh of a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons. 

Well No. 1 of the Horaco Ranch Company is 376 feet west from 
well No. 3. It is 75 feet deep, is cased with 7t-inch pipe, and equip- 
ped with 18 feet of Mott strainer. Water is delivered through a 71- 
inch vertical pipe opening into a horizontal wooden flume. It is raised 
by a No. 5 Byron Jackson horizontal-shaft centrifugal pump, driven 
by a 12-horsepower Weber gasoline engine. The engine made 238 
revolutions and 106 explosions a minute. The pump made 815 revo- 
lutions a minute and was belted directly to the engine from a 24-inch 
driving pulley to a 7-inch driven pulle3^ 

The vacuum-gage tap was 0.43 foot above the water plane on Sep- 
tember 11, 1904. It was 7.1 feet below the surface and 8.95 feet 
below the end of vertical discharge pipe. As the water jet rose 
0.762 foot above the end of the discharge, the total lift above the 
vacuum-gage tap was 9.71 feet. The vacuum gage read 14.5, which, 
corrected for altitude, is equivalent to 12.5 inches of mercury, or 
14.18 feet of water. The total lift of the pump was, therefore, 23.89 
feet. 

The discharge was measured by integrating with a Price acoustic 
current meter in the rectangular flume. The selected cross section had 
an average depth of 0.278 foot, an average width of 1.42 feet, and an 
area of 0.395 square foot. The average velocity of the water was 
4.707 feet per second, giving a discharge of 1.86 second-feet, or 837 
gallons per minute. 

The area of the well strainer is 36 square feet. The water level in the 
well was lowered 13.75 feet during pumping, and therefore the spe- 
cific capacity of the well is 60. 8 gallons per minute, or 1.69 gallons per 
minute for each square foot of strainer. 



70 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 



[NO. 141. 



Although the amount of water obtained at well No. 1 is veiy much 
greater than at well No. 3, the cost for fuel is substantially the same. 
The consumption of gasoline is slightly less than 1.2 gallons an hour. 
With gasoline at 17 cents a gallon, the hourly cost is 20 cents. The 



12 HP gaso/ine engine 



Woocfen f/ume 




Fig. 80.— Diagram of pumping plant No. 1, Horaeo Ranch Company. 

amount of water ol)tained being 837 gallons a miiuite, or 50,220 gallons 
an hour, the fuel cost was $0,004 per 1,000 gallons, or $1.30 per acre- 
foot. The lift at W(^ll No. 1 being 23.S9 feet, the cost of fuel for each 
1,000 foot-gallons was $0.000 U)T, or one-sixtieth of a cent. 



slichtp:r.] 



tp:sts of tumping plants. 



71 



Well No. 2 of the Horaco Ranch Company is 376 feet west of well 
No. 1. It is 58 feet deep, is cased with OJ-ineh pipe, and is equipped 
with IS feet of Mott strainer at the bottom. Water is raised b}^ a No. 
5 Bj^'on Jackson horizontal-shaft centrifuoal pumj), driven by a 



S' 

^ 



/Z H.P gasoline engine "^ c: 



Wooden flumd 




Fig. 31.— Diagram of pumping plant Mo. 2, Horace Ranch Company. 

12-horsepower Weber gasoline engine. It is taken from the well 
through a 7-inch suction and discharged through a 7-inch vertical 
pipe into a horizontal flume. The engine made 239 revolutions and 



72 GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. 141. 

103 explosions a minute. It was belted directly to the pump shaft 
from a 2tl:-inch driving pulley to a 7-inch driven pulle3\ The speed 
of the pump was 700 revolutions a minute. 

The vacuum-gage taj) placed in the goose neck of the pump was 1.20 
feet above the water plane and 10.02 feet below the top of the vertical 
discharge pipe. As the Avater jet rose 0.34 foot above the discharge 
pipe, the total lift of the pump above the vacuum-gage tap was 10.36 
feet. The vacuum gage read 24 inches, which, corrected for altitude, 
is equivalent to 22 inches of mercur}^, or 24.9 feet of water. The 
total lift of the pump was therefore 35.26 feet. 

The discharge was measured bj^ integrating with a Price acoustic 
current meter in the rectangular flume. The selected cross section 
had an average depth of 0.251 foot, a width of 1.44 feet, and an area 
of 0.362 square foot. The mean velocity was 1.172 feet per second, 
which gives a total discharge of 0.425 second-foot, or 191 gallons per 
minute. 

The water in the well was lowered 23.64 feet by pumping. This 
makes the specific capacitj^ of the well 8.1 gallons per minute, or 0.178 
gallon per minute for each square foot of strainer. 

The consumption of gasoline by the engine at w^ell No. 2 is known 
by comparison with that at well No. 3. Although the amount of 
water pumped is very much less than at well No. 3, the consumption 
of gasoline is as great, and even slightly greater, saj" 1.2 gallons an 
hour. With gasoline at 17 cents per gallon the hourly cost of fuel is 
20.4 cents. The fuel cost of w^ater is then 1.78 cents per 1,000 gallons. 
$0.000505, or one-twentieth of a cent per 1,000 foot-gallons, and $5.80 
per acre-foot. 

Mr. Houck gives the combined cost of the three pumping plants on 
the Horaco ranch as follows: 

Cost of pumping plants on Horaco ranch. 

Three 12-horsepovver AVeber gasoline engines, three No. 5 Byron Jackson 

pumps with piping, belting, etc. , all in place $2, 100. 00 

Wells at ^2.50 per foot 475. 00 

Well pits, buildings, flumes, etc. , extra 400. 00 

2, 975. 00 

Depreciation at 10 per cent and interest at 8 per cent amounts to 
$536 per annum. For an irrigation season of one hundred days this 
av^erages $5.3f) per day, or $1.80 a day for each plant. 

The hourly cost of ])lant No. 1 may be figured as follows: 

lloarlii cost of j)uinpin(/ plant Xo. I at Horaco ranch. 

Fuel (gasoline) 5^0. 16 

Interest and depreciation 18 

J^abor, lu])ricating oil, v\r 10 

Total 44 



SLIGHTER] TESTS OF PUMPING PLANTS. 73 

The last item is based on the supposition that one man can run the 
three plants. 

At well No. 1 the yield of water is 887 gallons a minute, or 50,220 
gallons an hour. The cost is therefore $0.00876 per 1,000 gallons, or 
$2.85 per acre-foot. 

The cost at the other plants is much greater on account of poorer 
wells. The wells would probabl}^ show little ditference in capacity or 
cost of the water if they were all as deep as well No. 1. The coarse 
gravels were not reached at all in well No. 2, and were not penetrated 
in well No. 3. 

Mr. Houck made a careful test of the amount of gasoline used at 
pumping plants Nos. 1 and 3 in November, 1904. Each of the engines 
at these plants ran sixteen hours on 16 gallons of gasoline. These 
tests are in substantial accord with the former tests quoted above, l)ut 
show^ a slightlj^ smaller quantity of gasoline consumed. 

Plants Nos. 1 and 3 were used on two occasions to irrigate 25 acres 
of land, consistmg of 21 acres of alfalfa and 4 acres of orchard and 
garden, and sixteen hours of continuous run were required at each 
trial. This is equivalent to about 2i inches of water per irrigation. 

An interesting observation was made of the effect of stopping the 
pumps during the night instead of making a continuous run as above. 
When this was done the pumps had to be run two and one-half hours 
longer to irrigate land that had previously been irrigated in sixteen 
hours. 



APPENDIX. 

ANALYSES OF WELL WATER AND DATA CONCERNING WELLS AT AND NEAR 

EL PASO, TEX. 



This information was furnished b}^ Mr. A. Courchesne, of El Paso, 
Tex. 

Water in corral at stone quarry above El Paso, Tex. 



Analysis. 


Parts per 
100,000. 


Probable combinations. 


Parts per 
100,000. 


Silica 


3.00 

2.00 

26.20 

6.11 

■ 18.84 

15.00 

23. 70 \ 

20. 60 

1.20 


Silica 


3.00 


Alumina 


Alumina 


2.00 


Lime 


Carbonate of lime 


34.00 


Magnesia 


Sulphate of lime 


17.65 


Soda 


Sulphate of magnesia 

Sulphate of soda 


18.30 


Carbonic acid 


1.90 


Sulphuric acid 


Chloride of sodium 

Water of crystallization, etc.. 

Total solids 


33. 95 


Chlorine (CI) 


1.20 






Water of crystallization, or 
loss 


112.00 






()'^ '\1 


Oxygen equivalent to CI 


116.65 
4.65 


Permanent hardness 


28. 20 


Total HolidH 


112.00 









This is not a o-ood hoilor water, though most of the solids will eome 
down as shidoe instcnid of sticking' to tubes. Still there is enough 
in eombination to make a hard seal of sulphate of lime and carbonate 
of magnc^sia. The water will eoi'rod(% but not badly. 
74 



SLIGHTER] ANALYSES OF WATER. 

Analysis of irater from mile 211^ El Paso and SoutJurestern Railroad. 



75 



Constituent. 


Parts per 
100,000. 1 

i 


Probable combination. 


Parts per 
100,000. 


Silica. . 


7.00 

1.00 

6. 70 

2. 80 

16.40 

13.65 

7.48 

8.70 

25 


Silica 


9.00 


Aliiniina 


Alumina 


1.00 


Lime 


Carl)onate of lime 


12. 00 


Magnesia 

Soda 


Carbonate of magnesia 

Sulphate of magnesia 

Sulphate of soda 


3. 62 
3. 45 


Suiphuric acid 

Carbonic acid 


20. 33 


Chloride of sodium . 

Water of crystallization 

Total solids 


14.35 


Chlorine (CI) 


.25 






Water of crystallization 


62.00 


Oxygen equivalent to CI 


63.98 
1.98 






Total solids . 


62. 00 









This is a good locomotive water, and is a fairly good drinking water, 
ver}^ slightly medical from Glaubers salts. 

Water from 70-foot veil at ranch of A. Courchesne^ near Ysleta, Tex. 



Constituent. 



Parts per 
100,000. 



Silica 

Alumina and phosphate 

Carbonate of lime 

Carbonate of magnesia 

Carbonate of soda 

Sulphate of soda 

Chloride of sodium 

Organic and water of crystallization 



3.00 
10.00 
15.00 

3.01 
12. 13 

7.80 
23.30 

1.76 



106.00 



This water is comparatively soft and good for boiler use. It has 
too much organic matter in it for a safe drinking water. The dried 
solids blacken on ignition and smell badly. It is probably polluted 
with sewage. 



76 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. 

Water from lime quarr}/, EI J^aso, SO fed deep. 



[NO. 141. 



Constituent. 


Parts per 
100,000. 


Probable combinations. 


Parts per 
100,000. 


Silica ... 


2.60 
2.00 ; 
44. 72 
10. 80 
65.80 
60.00 
14.00 
75.60 
27.50 


Silica 


2. GO 


Alumina 


Alumina 


2.00 


Lime . . . . 


Car])onate of lime 


32. 00 


Magnesia 


Sulphate of lime . . . . 


65. 30 


Soda 


Sulphate of magnesia 

Chloride of sodium 


32. 40 


Sulphuric acid 


124. 20 


Carbonic acid 


Water of crystallization 

Total solids, 100 c 

Total solids, grains per 
gallon (US) 


27. 50 






Carbonic 




Water of crystallization 


286.00 


Oxygen equivalent to CI 


803. 02 
17.02 


167. 00 


Total solids, 100 c 


286. 00 





This water is not good for drinking or boiler purposes. It will 
scale and corrode badh\ It could be made usable for boilers by treat- 
ment with caustic and carbonate of soda, but it would not then be a 
good water on account of high proportions of comuion salt. 

Analyses of ivaters fro)n tvells of El Paso ice plant. 



Constituent. 



Organic 

Silica 

Sulphate of lime 

Carbonate of lime 

Carbonate of magnesia. 

Chloride of sodium 

Chloride of lime 

Chloride of magnesia . . 
Sulphate of magnesia . . 

Sulphate of sodium 

Carbonate of sodium . . 
Iron and alumina 



300- foot well 
Surface j ingrains per 
water. | U. S. gal- 

i Ion). i 



5.4 

2.8 



26.3 

5. 3 

36. 9 



3. 033 



Total s<)li<ls 

IncTUstants 

Corroding salts 

Hating for boiler j)nrp(»s('; 



32. 5 
5. 2 

. () 

115.0 
34. 9 



Had. 



9. 580 
1.102 
6.102 



.407 



80-foot well 
(grains per 
U. S. gal- 
lon.) 



5. 249 

1.166 

35. 003 

10. 940 

.883 

52. 464 

4.391 

9. 802 

5.148 



27.224 125.046 
10. (>S2 I 47.992 

I 19.341 

(ioo<l. Verv bad. 



SLICHTER.] 



ANALYSES OF WATER. 



77 



AnabjsU from irotrr from new 400-foot wdl of El Pclso Ice and Refrigerator Componij^ 

FJ J*aso, Tex. 



Constituent. 


Parts per 
100,000. 

0. 50 
Tr. 
2. 28 
8. 00 
8. 98 
5.81 
5.72 
4.45 

30. 19 
1.19 


Probable combinations. 


Parts per 
100,000. 


Silica . 


Silica 


0.50 


\ hiiiiiiiii 


Alumina 


Tr. 


Lime 


Carbonate of lime 

Carbonate of magnesia 

Carbonate of soda 

Sulphate of soda 

Chloride of sodium 


4. 00 


Magnesia 


(). 80 


Soda 


1 . 59 


Chlorine . . . . 


7. 90 


Carbonic acid 


8.71 




Total solids 




Sulphuric acid 


29. 00 




Total hardness 


U.5 


Oxygen equivalent to CI 






Total solids 


29.00 









This i.s a good water. The hardness is rather hioh, ])ut it is tem- 
porary, and only a small part (about 20 per cent) will incrust, the rest 
falling as slugs in the boiler, which can be blown out. 

Analysii^ of El Paso well ivater. 



Constituent. 



Grains per 
U. S. gallon. 



Incrusting solids: 

Calcium carbonate 

Calcium sulphate 

Calcium chloride . . 

Magnesium carbonate 

Magnesium sulphate 

Magnesium chloride 

Iron and alumina 

Silica , 

Suspended matter 

Total 

Nonincrusting solids: 

Sodium sulphate 

Sodium chloride 

Sodium carbonate 

Total 

Alkalinity 

Hardness 

Carbonic acid 

Pounds of incrusting solids per thousand gallons 



3.20 
None. 
None. 

1.39 

None. 

None. 

.07 

1.61 
Trace. 



6.27 



5.82 


7.02 


4.19 


17.03 


9. 38 


5.26 


2.42 


.90 



78 



GROUND WATERS OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. [no. Hi. 



North lA^e// South i^^e// 



Water /ei/e/^ 
at 169' 



IVork/ng barre/ 
at/69' ^ 



I4^ater /ei^e/ 
y- at /90' 



yi^or/(mp barre/ 
at^OO ' 

Fig. 32.— Wells at Fort Bliss station, El Paso and Northeastern Railroad. 



Data concerning icells at Fort Bliss 

NOKTH WELL. 

Completed: July 22, 1901. 

Total depth: 249 feet. 

Casing: 249 feet of 6-inch. 

Depth of working barrel : 245 feet. 

Water level: 169 feet below earth's surface. 

Pump: 12 by 36 inches, Cook. 

Tested capacity of well: 80,000 gallons per twenty-four hours. 

SOUTH WELL. 

Completed: 1901. 

Total depth: 410 feet. 

Casing: 410 feet of 6-inch. 

D(^pth of working barrel: 400 feet. 

Water level: 190 feet below earth's surface. 

Pump: 10 by 36 inches, Cook. ' 

Tested capacity of well: 30,000 gallons per twenty-four hours. 



FEATURES COMMON TO NORTH AND SOUTH WELLS. 

Contractor: William ]\IcL(^ase. 

8ize of hole: 8 inches. 

Pump colunni: (J-inch standard. 

Working barrel: 5J-inch, Cook. 

Well rods: No. 3; 3-inch hickory, U-inch straight pins. 

Storage: 50,000 gallons, wooden tank. 

Boiler: 30 horsepower. Economic. 



SLK'HTER.] 



ANALYSES i)V WATER. 

Aiialysis of Fort Bliss well water. 



79 



Constituent. 



Calcium carbonate (incrustin^) 

INIagnesiuin carbonate (incrustin^) 

Silica (incrusting) ' 

Oxides, alumina and iron (incrusting) 

Alkali carbonates (nonincrusting) 

Alkali sulphates (nonincrusting) 

Alkali chlorides (nonincrusting) 

Alkali nitrates (nonincrusting) •. 

Suljihates, lime, and magnesium 

Total incrusting solids 

Total nonincrusting solids 

Pounds incrusting matter per 1,000 gallons 

Pounds nonincrusting matter per 1,000 gallons 



This water should be classed as good. 



Grains per 
U.S.pillon. 



Trac 



90 
09 
84 
06 
74 
62 
63 
70 
es. 



89 
69 



84 
09 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Agricultural College, pumping plants at, 

data concerning 34-37, 65-67 

pumping plants at, section of, diagram 

showing 66 

wells of 22 

Alkali. 6Ve Salts. 

Barker, L. C, pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31 , 34-38, £1-53 

pumping plant of, section throng h., dia- 
gram showing 52 

reservoir of 38 

well of, water of, analysis of 20 

Berino, N. Mex., cross section at, diagram 

showing 30 

pumping plants near, data concerning. 67-73 

water horizon at 30 

wells near 30 

water of, analyses of 20 

Boyer, Mrs. E. M., pumping plant of, data 

concerning 31, 34-36, 38, 56-58 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 57 

well of 24 

water of, analysis of 20 

Burke, F., pumping plant of, data concern- 
ing 31, 34-38, 53-56 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 55 

Caliche, occurrence and character of 15-17 

California well rig, view^ of 16 

Carrera, J. C, pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31 , 34-36, 38, 53 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 54 

well of, water of, analysis of 20 

Chlorine in Rio CJrande water, quantity of. 12-13 
quantity of, variation in, diagram show- 
ing 12 

Courchesne, A., analysis furnished by 74 

well of, water of, analysis of 75 

Deptli, variations of >alts in water with ... 12 

El Piiso, ground water near 14-21 

ground water near, analyses of 74-79 

narrows at, cross section of 11 

map of .* 10 

pumping plants near 39-51 

sections through, diagrams show- 
ing 40, 42, 44, 45, 48, 49 

quarry at. water of, analysis of 74,76 



IRR 141—05- 



-6 



Page. 

El Paso, rainfall at 21 

Rio Grande near, view of 10 

section near, diagram showing 16 

underflow near 9-13 

wells at and near, location of, map 

showing 15 

water of, analyses of 20, 74-79 

El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, well of, 

water of, analysis of 20 

El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, well of, 

water of, analysis of 75 

\ El Paso Brewery, well of, water of, analysis 

; of 20 

i El Paso Ice and Refrigerator Company, well 

' of, water of, analysis of 77 

I Electrolytes, use of 12 

I Floods, occurrence of 25, 30 

Fort Bliss Military Reservation, wells of . . . 17-18 
wells of, section of, diagram showing . . 78 

water of, analyses of ... 20, 78-79 

French, W. N., pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31,31-36,38,41-43 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 41 

well of.. 18 

section through, diagram of 16 

water of, analysis of 20 

Fuel, cost of 33 

Ground water, amount of 28-29 

at Berino 30 

below El Paso 14-21 

in Mesilla Valley 22-29 

level of, variation in, diagram showing. 26 

origin of 17-18, 22, 25-28 

! salts in, variation in, diagram showing. 12 

' • velocity of 9 

I Gypsum, occurrence of 14 

Hadlock,. E. ,T., pumpingplant of, data con- 
cerning 31, 34-36, 39-41 

wells of, analysis of 20 

arrangement of, diagram showing . 39 

location of, figure showing 30 

water in, elevation of, figure show- 
ing 40 

Hager, W. N., pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31, 34-38, 58-59 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 58 

well of, water of, analysis of 20 

81 



82 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Hereford, section at, diagram showing 16 

soil near 17 

Hines, A. L., pumping plant of. data con- 
cerning 31, 34-38, 59-61 

pumping pi int of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 60 

well of, water of, analysis of 20 

Horaco Ranche Company, pumping plants 

of, data concerning 31 , 

34-35, 37-38, 67-73 
pumping plants of, sections through, 

diagrams showing 68, 70, 71 

view at 62 

wells of 30 

water from, analyses of 20 

International Water Supply Company, 

wells of 18' 

Lanoria Mesa, location and character of... 14 

section through, diagram of 16 

LasCruces, N. Hex., floods at 25 

irrigation at and near 22 

pumping plants near 81, 36-37, 51-67 

sections through, diagrams show- 
ing 52, 54, 57 

underflow near i 22 

wells near, water of, analyses of 20 

Lava, occurrence of 14 

Lost River, lo(^ation of 14 

Map showing location of wells and pump- 
ing plants near El Paso 12 

showing location of wells near Mesilla 

Park 23 

Martinez, Felix, pumping plant of, data 

concerning 31 , 34-36, 38, 43-45 

pumping plant of, section through, 

diagram showing 44 

well of, water of, analj'sis of 20 

Mesilla, N. Mex., pumping plants near 31, 

34-38,58-61,64-65 
pumping plants near, sections through, 

diagrams showing 58, 60 

Mesilla Park, ground water at 26-27 

pumping plants near 31, 34-38, 53-56, 65-67 

sections through, diagrams show- 
ing 55, 66 

wells near, location of, map showing . . 23 

Mesilla Valley, ground water in 22-31 

irrigation at and near 22 

pumping plants in 22, 37, 51-67 

sections of, diagrams showing 55, 

58, 60, 63, 66 

underflow in 22 

wells in 22-24, 29 

Mexican-American international dam, lo- 
cation of 9 

See also Narrows. 

Narrows of Rio Grande, cross section at 9, 13 

cross .section at, diagram .showing li 

data concerning 9-13 

map of 10 

underflow at 9-13 

analy.scs of 20 

salts in, variation in. diagram sliow- 

ing 12 

view of 10 

New Mexico, .southern, pumping plants in. 31-38 



Page. 
Porcher, J. S., pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31, 34-36, 38, 50-51 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 49 

water plane at, elevation of, figure 

showing 19 

wells of, water of 18-19, 21 

analy.sis of 20 

Porcher strainer, view of 16 

Pumping plants, fuel co.st of 33 

location of, map showing 15 

operating cost of 32-33 

specific capacity of 32, 36-37 

tests of 39-73 

vacuum of, determination of 31-32 

See also individual plants. 

Rainfall, amount of 17, 21, 22 

Reservoirs, storage, necessity for 38 

Rigs, well, views of 16, 20 

Rio Grande, floods on 25, 30 

narrows of, cross section of 11 

map of 10 

view of 10 

seepage from 21, 28-29 

underflow of, at Narrow^s 9-13 

near Mesilla Park 29 

valley of, cross section of, figure showing 30 

water of 10-11,21 

analysis of 20 

salts in, variation in, diagram show- 
ing 12 

water plane near, elevation of, diagram 

showing 19 

wells along 18 

water from, analyses of 20 

Roualt, T., pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31, 34-38, 61-64 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 62 

well of, water of, analysis of 20 

Sacramento Mountains, location of 14 

timber on, view of 20 

Salts, in Rio Grande underflow 11-12 

in Rio Grande underflow, quantity of, 

variation in, diagram showing. 12 

in wells 14 

Silt, layers of 13 

Smith, J. A., pumping plants of, data con- 
cerning 31, 34-36, 38, 45-49 

pumping plants of, sections through, 

diagrams showing 45, 48 

view of t)2 

water plane at, elevation of , diagram 

showing 19 

wells of, water of, analyses of 20 

Southern Pacific Railroad, wells of 17 

wells of, water of, analy.'^es of 20 

Specific capacity, determination of • 32 

See also individual plants. 

Test wells at narrows, use of 12. 23-24 

water of, analyses of 20 

elevation of, diagram showing 24 

test well in Mesilla Valley 24-25 

water level in, variation of, diagram 

showing -6 

Texas, trans- Pecos, pumping plants in 31-38 



INDEX. 



83 



Page. 

Tinsley, J. D., aid of 25 

Totten, G. H., pumping plant of, data con- 
cerning 31, 3.4-38, 64-()5 

pumping plant of, section through, dia- 
gram showing 63 

well of, water of, analysis of 20 

discharge of, parabola of, diagram 

showing 65 

Underflow at narrows 9-13 

at narrows, velocity of 9, 12-13 

salts in 11-12, 14 

source of 25-28 

See aho Ground water. 

Vacuum, determination of 31-32 

Water, ground. See Ground water. 



Page. 

Water horizon, depth to and location of... 14-15, 

22, 24-25, 30 
position of, diagrams showing 19, 24, 30 

Well rigs, views of 16,20 

Wells, depth of 29 

location of 14, 17-18, 22 

maps showing 15, 23 

water of, analyses of 22 

See also individual ivells and puinping 
plants. 

Wells, deep, need of 29 

Wells, test. See Test wells. 

White sands. See Gypsum. 

Wood, cost of 33 

Ysleta, Tex., well near, water of, analysisof. 75 



PUBLICATIONS OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 

[Water-Supply Paper No. 141.] 

The serial pii])lications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1) Annual 
Reports, (2) INIonographs, (3) Professional Papers, (4) Bulletins, (5) Mineral 
Resources, (6) Water-Supply and Irrigation Papers, (7) Topographic Atlas of United 
States — folios and separate sheets thereof, (8) Geologic Atlas of the United States — 
foHos thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 are sold at cost of pubMcation; the 
others are distributed free. A circular givingconiplete lists may be had on application. 

Most of the above publications may be obtained or consulted in the following ways: 

1. A limited number are delivered to the Director of the Survey, from whom they 
may be obtained, free of charge (except classes 2, 7, and 8), on application. 

2. A certain number are allotted every member of Congress, from whom they 
may be obtained, free of charge, on application. 

3. Other copies are deposited with the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, 
D. C, from whom they may be had at prices slightly above cost. 

4. Copies of all Government publications are furnished to the principal public 
libraries in the large cities throughout the United States, where they may be con- 
sulted by those interested. 

The Professional Papers, Bulletins, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of 
subjects, and the total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified 
into the following series: A, Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, System- 
atic geology and paleontology; D, Petrography and mineralogy; E, Chemistry and 
physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water stor- 
age; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; M, General hydrographic investiga- 
tions; N, Water power; 0, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports. 
This paper is the eleventh in Series K and the forty-fourth in Series 0, the complete 
lists of which follow (PP= Professional Paper; B=Bulletin; WS= Water-Supply 

Paper): 

SERIES K, PUMPING WATER. 

WS 1. Pumping water for irrigation, by H. M. Wilson. 1896. 57 pp., 9 pis. 

WS 8. Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49 pp., 8 pis. 

WS 14. New tests of certain pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 1898. 9i pp., 

Ipl. 
WS 20. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 12 pis. 
WS 29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1899. 85 pp., 27 pis. 
WS 41. The windmill; 'its efficiency and economic use, Pt. 1, by E. C. Murphy. 1901. 72 pp., 14 pis. 
WS 42. The windmill, Pt. II (continuation of No. No. 41). 1931. 7:^-147 pp., 15-16 pis. 
WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami 

drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. 
WS 136. Underground waters of Salt River Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. I'.O'). 194 pp.. 24 pis. 
WS 141. Observations on the ground waters of the Rio Grande Valley, 1904, by C. S, Slichter. 1905. 

83 pp., 5 pis. 

SERIES O, UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kan.sas, by Erasmus Haworth. 1897. 65 pp., 12 pis. 

WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1897. 50 pp., 3 pis. 

WS 12. Underground waters of .southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. Darton. 1898. 56 pp., 21 pis. 

WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. 82 pp., 2 pis. 

WS 26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett. 1899. 64 pp. 

WS 30. Water resources of the lower peninsula of Michigan, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 4 pis. 

WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dakota, by J. E. Todd. 1900. 

34 pp., 19 pis. 
WS 53. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. I, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 86 

pp., 10 pis. 
WS 54. (Jeology and water resources of Nez Perces County. Idaho, Pt. II, by I. C. Ru.ssell. 1901. 

87-141 pp. 



II ADVERTISEMENT. 

WS 55. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakima County, Wash., by G. O. Smith. 1901. 

68 pp., 7 pis. 
WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the. United States, Pt. I, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 60 pp. 
WS 59. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. I, by J. B. Lippincott. 

1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. 
WS 60. Development and application of water in .southern California, Pt. II, by J. B. Lippincott. 

1902. 96-140 pp. 
WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. II, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 67 pp. 
WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. 
B 199. Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 1902. 192 

pp.. 25 pis. 
WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by W. Lindgren. 1903. 62 pp., 4 pis. 
WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basins in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, by I. C. 

Russell. 1903. 53 pp., 2 pis. 
PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred 

and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 69 pp., 43 pis. 
WS 90. Geology and water resources of a part, of the lower James River Valley, South Dakota, by 

J. E. Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. 47 pp., 23 pis. 
WS 101. Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by G. D. Harris, with discussions of their uses for 

water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 98 pp., 11 pis. 
WS 102. Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States,. 1903, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 522 pp. 
WS 104. Underground waters of Gila Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. 1904. 71 pp., 5 pis. 
WS 110. Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1904; M. L. Fuller, geologist in 

charge. 1904. 211 pp., 5 pis. 
PP 32. Geology and underground water resources of the central Great Plains, by N. H. Darton. 1904. 

433 pp., 72 pis. 
WS 111. Preliminary report on underground waters of Washington, bv Henry Landes. 1904. 85 pp. 

ipl. 
WS 112. Undertiow tests in the drainage basin of Los Angeles River, by Homer Hamlin. 1904. 

55 pp., 7 pis. 
WS 114. Underground waters of eastern United States: M. L. Fuller, geologist in charge. 1904. 

285 pp., 18 pis. 
WS 118. Geology and water resources of east-central Washington, by F. C. Calkins. 1905. 96 pp., 

4 pis. 
B 252. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of central Oregon, by I. C. Russell. 

1905. 138 pp., 24 pis. 
WS 120. Bibliographic review and index of papers relating to underground waters published by the 

, United States Geological Survey, 1879-1904, by M. L. Fuller. 1905. 128 pp. 
WS 122. Relation of the law to underground waters, by D. W. Johnson. 1905. 55 pp. 
WS 123. Geology and underground water conditions of the Jornada del Muerto, New Mexico, by C. R. 

Keyes. 1905. 42 pp., 9 pis. 
WS 136. Underground waters of the Salt River Valley, by W. T. Lee. 1905. 194 pp., 24 pis. 
B 264. Record of deep-well drilling for 1904, by M. L. Fuller, E. F. Lines, and A. C. Veatch. 1905. 

106 pp. 
PP 44. Underground water resources of Long Island, New York, by A. C. Veatch and others. 1906. 
WS 137. Development of underground waters in the eastern coastal plain region of southern Caliiornia, 

by W. C. Mendenhall. 1905. 140 pp.. 7 pis. 
WS 138. Development of underground waters in the central coastal plain region of southern Califor- 
nia, by W. C. Mendenhall. 1905. 162 pp., 5 pis. 
WS 139. Development of underground waters in the western coastal plain region of southern Cali- 
fornia, by W. C. Mendenhall. 1905. 105 pp., 7 pis. 
WS 140. Field measurements of the rate of movement of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1905. 
WS 141. Observations on the ground waters of the Rio Grande Valley, 1904, by C. S. Slichter. 1905. 

83 pp., 5 pis. 
The following papers also relate to this subject: Underground waters of Arkansas Valley in eastern 
Colorado, by G. K. Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Preliminary report on artesian waters of a 
portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual, .Pt. II; Water resources of lUrnois, 
by Frank Leverett, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Water res<)urces of Indiana and Ohio, by Frank 
Leverett, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; New developments in well boring and irrigation in eastern 
South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Rock waters of Ohio, by Edward 
Orton, in Nineteenth Annual, Pt. I\^ Artesian well prospects in the Atlantic coastal plain region, hy 
N. H. Darton, Bulletin No. 138. 

Correspondence should be addressed to 

The Dikectok, 

United States Geological Survey, 

Washington, D. C. 
September 1905. 



:« 



LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. 

[Mount each slip upon a separate card, placing the subject at the top of the 
second slip. Tlie name of the series should not be repeated on the series 
card, but the additional numbers should be added, as received, to the first 
entry.] 



Slichter, Charles S[umner] 1864- 

. . . Observations on the ground waters of Rio 
Grande Valley, by Charles S. Slichter. Washington, 
Gov't print, oflf., 1905. 

83, iii p. illus., V pl.jdiagrs. 23''"'. (U. S. Geological survey. Water- 
supply and irrigation paper no. 141) 

Subject series: K, Pumping water, 11; 0, Underground waters, 44. 

Appendix: Analysis of well water and data concerning wells at and near 
El Paso, Texas. 

1. Water, Underground^ — Texas. 2. Water, Underground — New Mexico. 

Slichter, Charles S[umner] 1864- 

. . . Observations on the gronnd waters of Rio 
Grande Valley, by Charles S. Slichter. Washington, 
Gov't print, off., 1905. 

83, iii p. illus., V pi., diagrs. 23*="^ (U. S. Geological survey. Water- 
supply and irrigation paper no. 141) 

Subject series: K, Pumpii)g water, 11; 0, Underground waters, 44. 
Appendix: Analysis of well water and data concerning wells at and near 
El Paso, Texas. 

1. Water, Underground — Texas. 2. Water, Underground — New Mexico. 

U. S. Geological survey. 

Water-supply and irrigation papers, 
no. 141. Slichter, C. S. Observations on the ground 
waters of Rio Grande Valley. 1905. 



U. S. Dept. of the Interior. 
see also 
U. S. Geological survey. 



LBJa'OS 



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